Off the Record
by WildCherry1305
Summary: G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and unexpected alliances.
1. The Beginning

G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and unexpected alliances.  
  
~ Comical, romantic, different than you would expect! ~  
  
The beginning  
  
"I want to do this. The people have the right to know who and how they are being protected. It's about time that we researched and find the good and bad about having Aurors around to protect us. And. it will sell," Ginny explained her boss, hoping that her pre-written and rehearsed speech would maneuver him to become interested and maybe even unlock some curiosity. She leaned forward in her seat and continued. "You know that the voting for whether or not the Aurors Protective Agency is needed will happen in about six months. Wouldn't the public be interested in this story because it would help them determine what they want to vote for?" Seeing she was making a point to the older man, a wave of confidence wash over her, drowning most of her anxiety and nervousness, she stood to pace as she concluded by saying, "It will be the most perfect story to have about two weeks before the voting officially begins because every witch and wizard will want all details about (as I said before) who and how they are being protected. So.what do you think?"  
  
The Weekly Prophets' editor motioned for her to sit again and eased back into his comfy, leather recliner. He was obviously deep in thought and the long, gruesome pause he gave the reporter gave no comfort or reassurance. "How long have you been with us, Ms. Weasley?" he asked, lacing his fingers.  
  
"Almost 8 months."  
  
"You must have a lot of courage to come before me and request a story while your still new to the system," he rubbed his knuckles under his chin and smiled before saying, "I like that kind of determination. I first have to think about it, though. For the time being; it's Friday night. Go home and I'll speak with you Monday."  
  
Ginny nodded, shook hands with him and closed the door behind her, leaning against it for support. 'Go home' wasn't a good sign, she knew it, and her relief of getting her speech over with was replaced by nausea. Before she lost herself on the spot, she dived into every girl's retreat.the nearest restroom.  
  
"Hey, Hon! Wait!" Tessa flew down the hallway, barely missing several staff members, and slithered into the girl's loo before the door could close behind her best friend. Ginny hurried to the nearest stall and threw-up her rice-cakes. "Jeez, you're thin enough, Gin. Why did you have to go all bulimic on me?"  
  
There was a flushing noise and the reporter appeared, glaring at Tessa and sarcastically laughing. "Why do you always make fun of the most horrible things? What if I really did have an eating disorder?" Ginny asked, dragging her body to the sink and rising off her face and mouth.  
  
"Well, then I'd say, 'Jeez, your thin enough, Gin. Why did you go all bulimic on me?'" Tessa giggled then pulled herself up onto the counter, scooping her midnight blue robes out of danger of getting wet. She became concerned and pulled out her wand. "Were you really that nervous?" she said while magically fixing her friends hair.  
  
"I could tell he liked the idea, but I got bashed for being so new." She sighed and continued, "He told me he would talk to me on Monday. Come on, let's go out and do something; I need to get my mind off this before I go crazy. You know how bad I want this, right?" Ginny turned to her friend.  
  
"You'd think that I would spend all Saturday listening to your speech because I thought you didn't want it? Gin, you're a smart, sneaky little bitch and though you haven't been on the payroll long doesn't mean you can't snoop and lie your way into a story and write wonderfully about it. I spent my last weekend Christmas holiday making sure you had enough confidence to realize that. You not only want this, you deserve it! Your skills surpass the most experienced reporter here and last Saturday, if I believe you only asked me to critic your speech because Mr. Tajue was hot, I would have told you to pay me or fuck off. I know exactly how much you want this, so don't even question me about it," Tessa exclaimed and turning Ginny's face so she could see herself in the mirror.  
  
Her bright red-orange hair, which she wore long down her back, had grown out wavy and curled slightly at the ends. It framed her heart shaped face beautifully and set off the gold-brown in her almond shaped eyes. She grew out of freckles during puberty and they were replaced by creamy, fair skin than\t never tanned. She had a petit build and ravishing curves that fuels others jealously. Though most men called her a knockout, she seemed not to know, or not to care, how beautiful she had become. Her mind was one tracked and the track lead to work. She had turned nineteen not long ago and graduated a mature and responsible woman. Her hunger to prove herself, though, gave her more stress than a person of her age should have, usually giving off the effect that she was really pushing mid-life crises rather then the end of her teenage years. She was offered a job from the Weekly Prophet because her ability to write for 'The Youth of the Magical World', or at least that's what Mr. Tajue had told her when she started a column when she still attended Hogwarts.  
  
Tessa broke her thoughts by saying, "Let's go to Magritte. That little town is full of pubs. Plus, I want to do some karaoke. Is that ok with you?"  
  
Ginny smiled and nodded. Her best friend then used her wand to freshen up both of their make-up, grabbed Ginny's hand, and skipped out the door.  
  
**Sry, little bit of a shaky beginning. OK, this is my fist story based on the Harry Potter books and I NEED to know your opinion. Upon request, from my beta (Rachel, I love u dearly!), the Weekly Prophet is different from the Daily Prophet. It's just a different newspaper, just for me to spice things up and not steal any thing from the wonderful JK Rowling! Please review..good or bad, even though I may bash at who ever flames me. Ne ways, I'll get started on the next chapter!! **  
  
To one and all! I'd like to thank my new beta, Rachel for giving me the courage to start this fanfic and also for betaing it for me, because I needed that little push. 


	2. Magritte

G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and unexpected alliances. ~ Comical, romantic, different than you would expect! ~  
  
Magritte  
  
With a faint pop, the Ginny appeared with a faint pop where the girls agreed to meet, behind a sleepy, cozy building that was tucked into a corner of the city. Because it was a Muggle town, she couldn't Apparate in or around the particular bar Tessa had her heart set on singing in.  
  
"C'mon, lets go before all the spots are taken!" Tessa, already waiting because she didn't have her license, said excitedly, grabbing Ginny's wrist and started sprinting to the heart of the city, where Knotty Nick Australian Pub was located.  
  
"Tes.hey.slow down!" Ginny screamed, losing her footing every so often and trying pull her skirt down before it rode up further.  
  
"Huh?" "Stop!" "Oh, sorry." Tessa paced herself and took a deep breath.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at her best friend and crossed her arms.  
  
"Nothing's wrong, but I'm wearing heels and not used to having my arm pulled off!"  
  
Giggling, the other girl look warmly hugged Ginny, then drew back to look into her green eyes. "I'm just so excited. Once I get out of school myself, I want to be known. This is the only talent I have, you know? I want to show it off." she smiled and looked at her feet sheepishly.  
  
Sometimes Ginny felt 50 years older then the younger girl instead of only 15 months. "Go on with you, then. I'll meet you there."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah, hurry up." Tessa began running again and in a few moments, disappeared from view.  
  
Ginny started at a slower pace and reflected on how much her best friend meant to her. They had met at Hogwarts when she was 14 because each 4th year student willing was assigned a 3rd year to show them Hogsmeade. Tessa Mourning was a Ravenclaw but not enough of their upper-class men signed up so instead she was paired with a Gryffindor, which turned out great because the girls fitted together better than expected. Both made high marks, both were cursed with older brothers, and both were from poor wizarding families. That's where their similarities ended. Ginny's personality was mature, soft and quiet while Tessa was always center of attention, wild and even a little ditzy at times. Ginny's beautiful, sharp looks made Tessa's physical features seem calm. Her curly, long, dark brown hair held highlights of blonde, caramel, and autumn red. She curved softly in the right places and was really no taller than the reporter, but the thing that attracted the most complements were her stunning eyes. They were a mix of deep blue and emerald green, which could be hidden by long, curled eyelashes.  
  
"What the.?" Ginny wondered, snapping out of her thoughts and realized she had turned somewhere and was now in a dark alleyway. Knowing she wasn't allowed to, she pulled out her wand and whispered, "Lumos."  
  
Shadows from other people scrambled to hide and there was a mummer of voices asking questions. She looked behind her and noticed the entrance was close enough so she had a chance to escape. She took a step back, then another, before a male voice yelled, "Get her!"  
  
Ginny was smart enough to know what a man would do to a young woman standing in a dark alley alone, and took off, beginning a chase toward the entrance. Hearing them closing in behind her, she pointed her wand back and stared screaming all the hexes she could remember.  
  
Scooping up her heels, she sprinted to safety on the street and left. Lost, but too scared to stop, she crashed into a man with a great build and the most handsome face she had ever seen. She clung to him and began to sob, not caring if she was in public and whom she had attached herself to.  
  
"Please, help! They are chasing me?"  
  
"Who is?" the guy asked gently.  
  
"Men.in the alley.didn't mean to walk in," she tried to explain through her hic-ups.  
  
"The alley?" the man became stern and pulled her away to look into her eyes.  
  
"Y-Yes," she responded.  
  
"This way, men! Thank you, ma'am. You've been a great help," and dashed off, leaving her alone with his face still pictured in her mind.  
  
She felt her heart flip and her stomach drop. The attraction toward this stranger was more then any thing she had felt before.except the crush she had on Harry Potter, the one boy who treated her well and the only man that didn't seem to care for her the way she cared for him. But this stranger was obviously the man she wanted now and she knew one thing about him. He was an Auror and what ever she had to do to see him again, she'd do. 


	3. Knotty Nick Australian Bar

G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and unexpected alliances. ~ Comical, romantic, different than you would expect! ~  
  
Knotty Nick Australian Bar  
  
"Snap out of it Ginny!" Tessa's voice chimed into her head and made her realize that a man was asking her to dance.  
  
"Oh, sorry. Nah, thanks for asking, I'm just not in the mood." Ginny responded, and then went back to her daydream.  
  
The guy looked so disappointed that Tessa touched his arm so he looked at her. "Well, if she won't, I will," she offered. "Do you mind settling for little old me?" The man grinned, took her hand and led her away from the table.  
  
"Sorry about my friend. She seems to have been hit with a love spell." He nodded slowly and introduced himself before shuffling to the famous tune, 'Broken Wand', a young witch was singing.   
  
While her friend was dancing for her, Ginny lazily stretched, stood up, and went for a drink. She felt like she was floating and was oblivious to the whistles and shouts young, single men threw her way. She ordered Rum with ice and sat on one of the stools to wait.  
  
"What, were you hexed while running? That guy was a hottie and he has been checking you out all night. Did Mr. Auror-man really hit you that hard?" Tessa scolded, leaning onto the counter next to her lovesick friend.  
  
"Hm? Oh, your back. How was the dance?" Ginny murmured, still in a daze.  
  
Tessa sighed, reached for Ginny's Rum, which had been placed on the counter, and swallowed a gulp. She began to cough and choke.  
  
"You ok? Hey, breath stupid!" her best friend dropped out of her fantasy and patted her on the back.  
  
"Nice to see you still care. If that effected my voice one bit, I'm blaming you for it."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"I'm a spoiled brat and need attention, remember?" Ginny laughed and stroked her friends' curls.  
  
"Sorry. How 'bout we get you some water then I'll help you warm-up," she suggested, knowing her friend was nervous about singing for the pub.  
  
"Ok, and after karaoke, you finish telling me about the man you cast this spell on you."  
  
"Of course." she said and ordered the water. ********* " '.and I'm gone." Tessa finished her song with a beautiful note that moved the crowd into awe. It was silent for a moment before Dissel, the man she danced with earlier, shouted and started to clap. The pub exploded into an applause and she bowed her way off the make-shift stage (floor that had been magically risen) and danced her way over the Ginny, who exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, that was beautiful!!"  
  
Tessa swelled with and hugged her friend. "This is the best Christmas holiday ever! I don't want to go back to school. I'd rather visit you at your office and sing my heart out!"  
  
The reporter smiled, shook her head, and promised, "Once you graduate, you and me are going on vacation to Spain or Egypt or where ever you want to go. Now, you only have one semester left and then you'll start your own life."  
  
The younger girl smiled and started to cheer as the next singer was pushed up into the shop light on the stage and started to sing his song. ********* Ginny and Tessa left the pub at god-knows-what hour and started to walk back to the cozy corner of the city where Ginny could Apparate without being seen.the only problem was getting there without waking the Muggles and Magical people asleep. Both girls had a bit too much to Rum and were giggling constantly over the most ridiculous things.  
  
"Mushroom! Who would come up with the name mushroom??" Tessa feel over and rolled around on the road she was laughing so hard at Ginny's comment.  
  
They reached the departing point and the older girl was suddenly slobber. "I can't do anything in this state. C'mon and lets go get the Portkey you traveled with."  
  
"I don't know if its still here.I don't remember when it was suppose to depart," Tessa giggled, "I didn't think we would be so wasted and stay out till.um.what time is it?"  
  
The other girl just shrugged. "Watch didn't go with the outfit, but I'm sure it's telling me to be in bed."  
  
Just then there was a rustle in the bushes and the women jumped back, clutching each other and staring at the forest. Ginny motioned with her head to start moving away from what ever it was and they started to turn and walk away together. The rustle grew louder and seemed to be following them.  
  
"Halt," a male voice commanded, making the girls go stony with terror. Who ever had demanded them still started to climb out of his hiding place.  
  
"You were the girl who sent the Aurors after me." Ginny gulped and Tessa gasped.  
  
"You know, I never thought a Muggle woman would know what a Death Eater. You're not Muggle, are you?" The man rested a hand of his victims shoulder. "I would kill you now, but my people need tending and your going to help me.you and your friend," and with those words hanging above them, he pushed them into the forest. ********* Eyes cloudy by Rum, a hangover headache pressing into her thoughts, Ginny finished with the last person and sat down to rest. The man had pointed where they would be helping and then vanished, leaving a healed Death Eater to guard the working girls.  
  
Tessa jogged over, pants ripped, hair a mess, and hands dirty. She kneeled next to Ginny and whispered, "What do we do?"  
  
"We've gotta get rid of the guard first, and he's ready to ward off a hex."  
  
"I can deal with the guard, I mean should I try to use Floo Powder or something? I have no way to get home." That's when Ginny noticed the blue fire in the middle of the clearing.  
  
"We need Floo Powder first. Obviously there has to be some Floo on one of these guys, or else they would have Apparated with the rest. I'll search and you get the guard.. how do you plan to knock him out?" Tessa was already strolling toward him.  
  
"Hey there!" she said, seeing the man twitch out his wand. "Whoa, sweetie, I'm no harm. See," she held up her hands, "I can't do magic! I'm a stu.I mean a Squib." She reached him and stood before him, looking like her young cute self. "Can I sit next to you?"  
  
The man, bewilded by the acting's of his strange prisoner, shook his head and pointed toward the injured people, causing Ginny to scramble away from one woman and her open robe. Tessa ignored this and sat on the stonewall next to him.  
  
Shocked, the guard gave in.  
  
"So, who are you?" the girl asked, trying to see under his mask.  
  
"You don't need to know," he responded gruffly.  
  
"Oh, I do."  
  
He looked at her, startled, and began to laugh.before he was hit in the head with one of the stones he was sitting next to.   
  
Tessa threw the stone down and knelt down beside him, tearing off his mask.  
  
Ginny whistled when she found the Floo and motioned her friend over.  
  
"C'mon, lets leave." She walked over to the magic fire and through some in. "You first. Go over to my flat, we'll talk there."  
  
The younger girl nodded and stepped in. "Ginny's Flat!" she shouted and with a swoosh, she was gone.  
  
The other girl smiled and said softy to herself before she stepped into the fire, "Well, at least I forgot about the story. Ginny's Flat!"  
  
**Any ways, this chapter does have much meaning, though your all probably thinking, "Its just talking about Tessa singing and Ginny being love struck." Every thing will come together and make sense! Please Review!** 


	4. A Trip to Reality

G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and unexpected alliances. ~ Comical, romantic, different than you would expect! ~  
  
A trip to reality  
  
Ginny slowly opened her eyes and touched her wrist to her throbbing forehead. She flipped over onto her back and leaned against the over stuffed pillow, massaging her temples and moaning softly. "Next time I go drinking, Tessa, I won't get something so strong like R...Tessa?" Ginny asked in confusion, turning her head back and forth in order to see every corner of her bedroom.  
  
When they had gotten home last night, the girls started to feel the effect from the booze and decided just to pour themselves in bed rather than discuss the evening's prior events. Even so, they didn't get much sleep anyway. Racing to the bathroom every 2 hours or so, the alcohol was not showing signs to give in and let sleep come. When Ginny finally drifted off for good, Tessa was about to make a new "bed-to-bathroom" running record.  
  
"Tessa?" Ginny called again. No response. She carefully slid from her bed and stumbled toward the bathroom on her wobbly legs. The door creaked open and displayed Tessa's head on the tile at the bottom of the toilet. Ginny just grinned, shrank to her knees and said, loud enough to wake Tessa up, "What will your parents think of me when you go home hung over? I bet they'd start talking about how Ginny Weasly corrupted their wonderful, head girl of a daughter." Tessa just squeezed her eyelids together and muttered, "Hey, head girl needs the most liquor. The head boy, Troy Plehyes, is claiming its tradition that we go out. Don't mean to point out the obvious, but he has a phobia of water." "Smelly?" "Stinky." Tessa slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position and let her head fall into her hands. "Oh-my-gosh, I thought we were going to go get some drinks, not guzzle bottles of Knotty Nick's best Rum." The older girl let out a giggle, stood and held out her unstable head. "C'mon, coffee and magic will heal us up."  
  
They wondered into the kitchen, found Ginny's wand in the sink, and called up the coffee and healing spells and their headaches disappeared. Settling down on the couch, Tessa began by saying, "They'll come looking for us, you know. That guard last night knew who we were.he must have followed us and in our drunken state, we didn't notice." Ginny tilted her head and spoke softly, "He? Who's He? How did he know us?" The other girl's eyes watered up and she sniffed before saying, "I told him. Remember Dissel?" "Who?" "The hot guy that you didn't dance with." "The Death Eater was him?!" "Yea, and I told him," Tessa paused for a moment, "that I was a student and you were a reporter. Yes, all the details."  
  
Ginny just stared opened mouth into her coffee mug, in total awe about how fast evil can work and then she started to think out loud. "Dissel was one of the people in the alley and he got away. Someone most likely tipped him on where I went and he reported it to his boss. Then, he was ordered to corner and take care of us. Geez, these guys are creepy and clever." She stood and paced, working up the story in her head, a talent only a columnist could learn. "How did the leader get away? Where did all the Aurors go? Did we only treat Death Eaters last night?" Tessa perched at the end of her seat and answered, "We didn't heal any Aurors, so I'm guessing most of them were killed or got away.the only two options they had, I guess. Ginny, let others think about that, where are you going to go?" "What do you mean?" "I'm going to be safe at Hogwarts, I'll be returning there in a day or so, but you don't have that protection and they know where to find you. You need to get out of your office, out of your flat.hell, you need to become nonexistent! Oh, why did I talk so much about you? Why didn't I just let you day-dream and not dance with that guy? Why am I so shallow and only saw how hot he was?" Tessa fired questions at herself, pounding her fist on her leg harder and harder till it bruised her skin and all the while having her voice crescendo, louder and louder and louder.  
  
Ginny, kneeled in front of her and grabbed her upper arms. "Tessa, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't know he was bad and he probably asked about me anyways. I don't need to become a no one, neither. Listen to me. You're going to be safe at Hogwarts and I'll find some place to relax.oh! I completely forgot! If my boss says yes, I'll be undercover anyway. I'll talk to him today, tell him I have to go into hiding anyway, why not make a profit. Are you feeling better?" Ginny felt her relax and let go, causing Tessa to shirk back onto the couch. "Yes, but I still feel bad. What happens if he says no?" "He won't, not after I tell him all I know already. Tessa's face didn't change from its worried expression, but she nodded and said, "My parents are going to kill me. Can I barrow a robe can go? I need to put the blame on you before they disown me."  
  
******  
  
Tessa appeared home to find the house empty, with out any furniture, people, living bacteria (well, maybe), absolutely nothing. "Mum? Papa?" She called, wandering around the country style palace that she was raised in. When she finally made it to her room, she found all her belongings there and even a suitcase out on the bed as if it was waiting to be packed. "wHo?" something wondered. Tessa peered behind her to find an owl tied to the door knob, obviously there for her. "wHo?" the bird said again, showing its weakness. "Poor babe. You most likely haven't had bite scene...I dunno. Scene you were left here." Unknotted the owls' leg and cuddled it against her, fondling it like her grandmother, who owned an Owl Post shop somewhere near the border of France, had taught her. As Tessa held the bird, she looked around at her room, which she returned home after she was born till now, where she returned every holiday from school.  
  
Something was most definitely amissed, considering her whole home was bare and had a shallowly feel and only her room was untouched. Just yesterday she had returned home to change into muggle clothes. Tessa walked into her parents bedroom, clean as it always was, and it looked bigger without the bed. "OMG," she said to herself when reality hit her. Her family was gone. Clutching the hooting owl to her chest, she sank onto the floor and closed her eyes, remembering what she said last to her mother. ((memory: "Mom, it was just a touch up and I was sure she needed it! Ginny was working so hard on getting this, I didn't think tweaking her hair would get me an official warning from the Ministry. C'mon, you work there, cant you do anything?" Tessa asked her mother urgently, trying to find her shoes. She wanted tonight to shine, get some peoples attention. One thing she "forgot" to mention to Ginny was that Knotty Nicks Australian Bar was not only famous for its karaoke, but the fact that lots of 'Witch Hunters', England's famous record buyer, seemed to like visiting there. "Tessa Marina, you listen to me. I don't care if I work in that department, that doesn't mean you can do any magic on break! Because I work there is a reason, out of many, why you shouldn't. Plus, you did more than a hair spell, but some makeup checks..for two?" Her mother, tall, thin, a beauty tried to look mad and still seem nice. Finding her heels in the wardrobe, Tessa answered, "Mum!! I need to go! Stay at Ginny's if I'm late," and then dashed out without even a kiss good-bye))  
  
"I've gotta get out of here, I've got to get to school," while standing up, she felt paper brush her elbow. Looking down at the bird, seeing it was asleep, she saw a note nailed into the inside of its wing. It read clearly,  
  
  
  
Dear Ma'am, Pay no heed to your lost belongings, they will be returned as soon as you write back.. With Pleasure, Dissel and boss  
  
**Gosh, that took forever. No ones reviewing! Feel so unloved. Ok, I now know how the story will end, but if u want to know, start to give me feed back! A little slow getting to the big stuff, but this is worth it. Next chapter, Tessa communicates with her new stalker, Ginny compromises with the editor and Harry will appear!** 


	5. Doing Something Drastic

G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and unexpected alliances. ~ Comical, romantic, different than you would expect! ~  
  
Doing Something Drastic  
  
Mr. Tajue, the Weekly Prophets' editor, was shocked to find Ginny at his door that Saturday afternoon.  
  
"Ms. Weasly, I know you are eager to pursuit this story, but this is a very immature way to go about it!" He said quietly to her, stepping outside and closing the door behind him.  
  
"Sir, I would come to your home only under the most pressuring circumstances. I'm in trouble. Last night my friend and I went to Magritte and got caught in some dealing with Death Eaters," Ginny began, making him flinch. "I may need to go under protection, considering they found us later on in the night after we escaped and made us take care of they're wounded (Aurors went after them) so they obviously know who we are."  
  
"Who is your friend?" Mr. Tajue interrupted.  
  
"A student, she's going back to Hogwarts today so she will be safe, thank god."  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Tessa Mourning, sir. The paper did a story over her older brother, Peter, about his success in dueling."  
  
"Yes, I remember Peter."  
  
Ginny took a calming breath before she continued. "Sir, if I choose to go and hide, I will but I think I have a better plan. Why not make use of my story idea and go under cover as an Auror?"  
  
"Weasly, you're very clever, but this will take more time than you have! How will you get in? How will you keep contact with me? Is Peter's sister really safe?"  
  
"I have three simple answers. First, I'll lie and say I was transferred. Second, Aurors have some kind of home life; I'll be around to communicate. Last, Tessa is at Hogwarts! Last time they had a break in, the person had to change into a beetle."  
  
The older man rubbed his chin and said, "Rita Skeeter, yes. She was put on trial last year because of that. She was also very clever, but guess what. She got caught!"  
  
Ginny breathed out of her nostrils, trying to control herself. Finally, she told him what Tessa had said to her the day before, "Mr. Tajue, let me brag a bit for a second. I'm a smart, sneaky little bitch and though I haven't been on your payroll long doesn't mean I can't snoop and lie my way into a story and write wonderfully about it. Now, I need your answer."  
  
The editor grinned. "That's the attitude you have to have going in there. You have your story; now leave before my wife starts blaming me for late hours and weekends."  
  
*********  
  
Dissel, I'm writing back. Hold true to your promise and I won't do anything drastic.  
  
Hate, Tessa  
  
******  
  
Ginny appear back at her flat and began to pack. Knowing that Tessa should be at school, she wrote a letter reminding her not to leave the castle and that she would be in touch. After letting the owl loose, she wrote another one to her parents, saying she was on a report and may not be home for a while.  
  
"Jeez, I don't know anyone! Sending out only two letters for leaving for a long time is sure saying something.." The girl mumbled, shrinking her trunk and putting on a cloak. She then left her flat, not looking back.  
  
******  
  
Tessa staying crunched up on her bed. She had finished packing her trunk, which she noticed her mom had stared because everything was folded, and then tried to eat something, but she couldn't hold anything down. Whenever she closed her eyes, there were visions of people torturing her family, so she couldn't sleep. After a couple of hours, Tessa had grown tired of pacing so the next best thing was her bed, which brought no comfort, just wonder. It had been eight hours sense she sent the owl off, him feeling much better, but she did not know why it was taking so long for him to fly to Dissel.  
  
Once Tessa was about to give up and leave for school, which she would have to in three hours anyway (She wrote the school, telling them she had missed the train. They told her to have the Knight Bus bring her no later than midnight.), a popping noise sounded and her enemy appeared.  
  
"Dissel.what in the world? Where are my parents, you.?"  
  
"Now, now Tessa, no reason for names. Your parents are still with me, at the place I took them." He replied calmly, taking a few steps toward her.  
  
"Where would that be, oh-evil-one?" she shot back sarcastically, furious he didn't bring them home.  
  
"No where, darling. Now, let's work out the deal." "The deal? THE DEAL? You said once I responded, my parents and brothers would be home. Now I understand that you want something with me, but leave them out of it!" Tessa broke loose, standing up on her bed and staring him straight in the eyes.  
  
Death Eater or no, this man was about to get hurt. Jumping up next to her, he looked down at her, as if trying to be intimidating. It didn't work.  
  
"No nothing until my family is home and safe.and did you take the furniture too?"  
  
Dissel, still looking down at her, reached into his pocket and drew out a handful of tiny tables, chairs, sofas, and so on. "Would you like me to in large them here or outside?"  
  
"Just give them to me; my parents will deal with it." She decided, eyeing his other pocket uncertainly.  
  
Dissel noticed and laughed. "They're not in there, little girl."  
  
Tessa just crossed her arms and said flatly, "Family, now."  
  
"OK, fine. Let me just cut to the point. I can't bring your parents here right now, because the Dark Lord has told me not to. His orders were, 'Tell the girl that in order to keep her kin safe, she must bring back Sirius Black to us.' Now that you know what to do, I'll take my leave." Before disappearing, she grabbed his arm, eyes wide.  
  
"Sirius Black, the escaped murderer? He's still out?"  
  
"Yes, now let go of me. Be in touch," and with that he was gone, leaving Tessa wondering how she was going to find this person where she was going. Hogwarts.  
  
******  
  
"Name?" the Auror guard grunted at the iron gate.  
  
"Samantha Frunet," Ginny responded, glancing between the iron bars and saw nothing but a road.  
  
"Reason for being here?" he asked, looking at her straight in her eyes, as if confused about something she said.  
  
Ginny was ready for such stares and questions, so looked back at him, turned to spit onto the ground, and replied calmly, "Transferred from an agency in Italy. Here to work on the case of the alley attacked last night.your boss should be expecting me."  
  
The man carefully inspected her, then said to the gate, "yueng poessphend!" and it dutifully opened.  
  
"Where do I go?" Ginny asked, walking carefully into the gate and only finding road.  
  
The guards eyebrows went up slowly and he gave her a hard look.  
  
"Well, you don't expect me to know, do you? Oh, wait, you think I should know because I'm an Auror, right?"  
  
Nodding told her to continue. "For your information, I've never been to this base before, and also, not everyone is to know, right? Word gets out fast. Where is it?"  
  
"yueng poesstye," was his only reply and once the steel slammed between them, he threw a gum wrapper at the ground under her.  
  
"Five, four, three.be careful Frunet," and with that, Ginny was sucked into the ground. Why, there was a tunnel hidden underneath it all! Plummeting deep into the earth, Ginny was rolled and tossed in an endless cycle of twist and turns. She never felt the ground or ceiling touch her and was barely aware of her belongings swirling around her ankles.  
  
Then, as suddenly as it started, she landed with a on her back plop in a soft, dirt nest, and was staring up at what was the man in her dreams. Golden hair, blue eyes, high cheek bones, straight nose, she wondered why he wasn't a modle.  
  
He chuckled and said, "Obviously you've never been to this base. We've been expecting you for about three weeks, ma'am. Oh, excuse my manners. Need a hand up?"  
  
Awe stuck and confused, she took the strong wrist offered to her and brushed her self off before turning to face the god of beauty. "Expecting me? What's your name, sir?"  
  
She couldn't believe it, the man blushed! "I'm sorry, but telling my real name is a violation of Code 87645, forbidding us to go by anything other than mission calls. Mine's Schell. Yes, indeed we've been expecting you; after all, we only asked for you expertise about 30 days ago! We were afraid you might have been captured or killed, but now that you're here, well, we'll finally be able to get work down. Now, wants your call?"  
  
"Wait, you've been waiting a month for me yet you didn't even know the name...call of the person helping you?" Ginny was confused and a bit worried.  
  
That guard at the gate must have realized that she wasn't suppose to give her real name up there, but then again, he let her go by.  
  
Schell looked a bit confused also before he said, "Things must run differently in Italy, huh? No matter, we never know who's coming around here. Totell, the guard, just sent down that you were here about the alley last night, and that's the kinda thing we've needed next. You are the straggliest, right?"  
  
"Yes, I just didn't know you sent for me so long ago. I'm Chess." Ginny lied, pretty proud of herself for coming up with such a good cover. Noticing that her stuff was thrown about, she took out her wand and flicked it, sending all the belongings back into the bag.  
  
"Chess? Interesting..." Schell commented, leading her down the dirt cave till they came to a metal door, which he just pushed easily open.  
  
Eyes wide, mouth open, Ginny was able to get a view of the Aurors world, which was like a glass bubble beneath the ground. Magic danced, literally everywhere; experiments, arguments, and practice dueling was all around her. Still trying to keep up with her guild, she repeatedly stumbled about and sometimes forgot to blink, but when he stopped in front of an office, she regained her self and entered the door Schell held open.  
  
"Hang on one minute, Chess, I'll be right with you," a familiar voice call out to her from a back room. Ohmygod, she thought, Harry! Ginny had known Harry had become an Auror, but never heard, of course, where he was or what position he was in. In fact, the last time they had spoken, she had just graduated! Get out of here, find some way out He'll blow your cover! Her mind screamed at her. Hesitating only a moment, she started to back out of the room, accidentally bumping into Schell, and called out unsteadily, "Its ok.um.sir! I feel a bit faint. Traveling on a bus, you know, and.um.I'd like to be shown to where I'm staying, if you don't mind. I'll be in touch after I get settled in!" "Are you ok?" asked Schell, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Please, just get me out of here." Just then, Ginny knew she said something wrong. His eyes widened and he dragged her out, almost slamming the door. He remembers me! Damn it, Ginny! By then he started pulling her to another section of the base, and before long they entered a small, dorm style room, empty except for a bed, sink, desk and closet. "You were the woman who helped us find the alley last night! What were you doing there? Who are you really?" For the first time in Ginny's life, she had no lie to cover her self up. She found her self saying, "How long has Harry Potter been here?"  
  
******  
  
"Sorry for the wait, my boss just decided to let me go through his files and try to find one on you, Chess. Unfortunately, I.." Harry Potter walked out of his bosses back storage room, talking all the way but then finding there was no one to greet. Rubbing his chin, he assured him self the voice he heard earlier wasn't his imagination. Oh well, he thought, she said she needed rest. He then walked to the closed door and stepped out, not seeing the flash of red hair going turning into the housing section of the base. .  
  
**Wow, that was tiring. Hope all of you enjoy it! Review, please, and thanx to all of you who have! Next chapter, Ginny lies her way into trouble, we hear the real story on Dissel, and Tessa introduces some new characters and fights to tell the headmaster the truth.** 


	6. Hopeful Lies

G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and unexpected alliances. ~ Comical, romantic, different than you would expect! ~ **Authors note- Sorry if this chapter is a bit confusing. Tessa's dream is in two brackets, like this ((Dream)). Ok, hope you get that. Enjoy!**  
  
Hopeful Lies  
  
Tessa arrived at the school by midnight, confused and exhausted, and was pushed to her dorm by some teacher. When she entered her room, quietly not to wake her roommates, she found a letter from Ginny waiting for her, stating not to leave Hogwarts grounds until everything settled down. "Sorry, Ginny, but yeah right," she said, crumpling the paper and throwing it under her bed. A headache began to form, and without even changing, she fell onto her bed and drifted into a nightmare.  
  
((Her mother is on her knees sobbing; screams shout from with-in a castle building; there is no moon or sun in the sky. Trees limp over, as if searching for a victim; eyes peeking out of the woods showing no mercy; and Dissel walking toward her, but not her. Tessa notices she's not in this world, yet able to witness it. "Come, woman, and face the doom your daughter has provided us with," he told her mother, grabbing the chain wrapped around her neck. "No!" Tessa screamed, though no one could hear her.  
  
All of the sudden, Tessa finds herself next to Ginny, who is pale, bleeding and bruised. "Tessa, please save him," was all she managed to get out, pointing at a form beside her before the reporter passed out.  
  
Out of no where, a grim is running toward her. He halts in front of Tessa and speaks in words she can understand, "Under your nose."  
  
Dissel is there again, this time offering something to a person in a cloak. "What is this?" the person demanded. "Why, Harry Potters scar your greatness." The crouching man responded.  
  
Tessa finds herself sprinting, she was being chased. She crashed into a faceless girl, who tells her, "The person chasing you chased me, too. I'll be seeing you soon, outside of this dream. Wake, Tessa; open your eyes, this nightmare will end."))  
  
Tessa sat up with a start, as if someone was pushing her. The room was bright and she found her roommates beginning to stir. Seeing that it was the perfect moment to announce her arrival, she jumped onto her bed, which was still made up nicely, and screamed, "A mouse is on your face, Lisa!" Nice way to start the mourning was all Tessa could think, forgetting the dream with-in moments.  
  
******  
  
Schell's face paled further at the name of his fellow Auror, and he shook his head as if to wake up. "You'd think no one has ever recognized him before. He IS the boy who lived, you know." Ginny said, frustrated. Tossing her lose hair from her face, she gave the man a look and asked again calmly, "How long has Harry Potter been here?" Schell glared a bit, coming out of his shock, and the reporter struggled not to melt beneath him. Just last night, she couldn't even drink properly after meeting him, but now, Ginny felt superior over him.maybe because he treated her that way. She didn't think he would anymore, though, considering he was about to blow her cover. "Potters career is not any of your concern, nor mine to tell, for that matter. Who are you?"  
  
Geez, Ginny, you've barley been here a half an hour and about to get kicked out, she said to herself, opening her mouth to tell him the truth. She stopped before she could blurt out her reasons. So what if he's the most beautiful man ever. Ginny, you've got your whole career on the line here! Make something up! That's what you've gotta do, her mind told her and she began again by saying, "I'm Chess, the straggliest you've been waiting for. Who else could I be?" At this challenge, Schell sat down at the end of the bed, setting his head in his hands.  
  
"I don't know who else you could have been; I don't know if you are really who you say you are; all I know is that I saw you last night. You bumped into me and gave me the same look you did today in Pelicans office."  
  
"Pelican?"  
  
"My boss. Obviously Potter (who you should start calling Jet, by the way) was looking for something; he's Pelicans right hand man."  
  
"I see."  
  
"What were you doing in Magritte last night?"  
  
Ginny answered before she even thought on anything. "Snooping around. I wanted to see where these Death Eaters hung out so I could come here and have some information; just to show off a bit."  
  
"You acted like you were really scared."  
  
"Well, I don't usually fight them, I just tell people where to go and what to expect."  
  
"Not in this base. You have to go out and lead the troops, that's what we need the most." He said, giving in a smile and winked, "You did pretty good sending hexes out, though. I think you'll do just fine." Ginny was basking in his glow. He was buying it! Just then, the so-called Auror felt like she could take anything. As Schell got up to leave, he turned toward her and asked, "Why did you shrink away when you heard Jets voice? You seemed to recognize it."  
  
Smiling back at him, she responded confidently, "Jets and my relationship and past are not any of your concern, and not only mine to tell, for that matter. I'm just not very interested in meeting him."  
  
Schell nodded and left her room, quietly closing the door behind him. Once the click of the knob turned, Ginny jumped up and ran to the waste basket, one of the few luxuries the room held. "Rice cakes aren't my thing, any more. Mental note, only eat bananas when nervous," she said out loud to herself. Knowing that people will have questions and facts for "the straggliest" to work out, Ginny decided that bed was the best idea. Swinging her wand wildly around, her bag was unpacked and the reporter fell onto her bed, feeling a strange sense of de-ju-vo before she drifted off to sleep.  
  
******  
  
"Your Lordship, where have you been?" the guard asked as the man stepped up to the door. "Don't ask. I'm getting tired, let me in," Dissel answered, rubbing his temples and stumbling into his chamber. The visit to Tessa Mourning had left him restless, unsatisfied and annoyed. He truly had no idea why his master believed that this girl, not even out of school yet, could capture a wanted criminal. After disappearing from her home, he decided that he needed a break, and took off to Magritte, where he found a pub to drown his thoughts with liquor. When he finally made it back to the Death Eater base, though, his head not only began to pound uncontrollably, but his body was about to give out from exhaustion. Dissel moaned and sat in a lumpy armchair face the huge window, and with a couple words and a wave of his wand, the beginnings of the migraine were gone.  
  
It's starting to snow out there, he thought, stretching a bit and relaxing. Snow always reminded him of his mother, as much as he tried it not to. She had kicked him out into it when he was expelled from Hogwarts. "Why did you do it?! Why?!" his mum had begged, holding the release letter to her heart when he arrived home in the middle of October. Strangling that stupid cat sure put them in an uproar, he recalled, smiling evilly at the mere thought of his actions. The day the Sorting hat place him in Hufflepuff he was furious at the school. Dissel believed that he belonged in Slytherin, but his father had been in Hufflepuff, and his father before him, and his father before him, and so on. Dissel had begged the Sorting Hat to ignore his past but the thing had told him Slytherin would provide him no future.  
  
During his 5th year, Dissel decided to leave the school, home and family (especially his father) behind, and tried many times to be expelled. Of course, his first attempted was the burn the Hat, but as much as he shouted the curse at it, the idiot thing was protected and didn't do as he wished. Then there was the many tries of destroying school property, but that only gave him several detentions. When he didn't show up to the detentions, he was, to the amusement of the care keeper Filch, chained in the dungeons. At that point, Ms. Norris became the students' next target. Dissel was then suspended from Hogwarts grounds and "his" wand (really one of his ex- roommates' wand) was broken before his own eyes.  
  
"That was six years ago," the former student whispered to himself. He felt much older than 21, but then again, most of his fellow Death Eaters his age have been serving the Dark Lord for only one or two years. Sense he had left Hogwarts, Dissel was a loyal follower and even made it into the inner circle, able to converse and serve directly to the most powerful wizard of the age!  
  
Feeling much better, the man left his comfortable chair and made his way to the dungeons, hoping his captives were conscious.  
  
******  
  
Schell left the newest addition to the base to settle in her room while he made his way to Pelicans office. Upon entering, he went straight to the back room and found Jet reading a file.  
  
"Do you know Chess?" he demanded, causing the other man to drop his information and swerve in his chair, having his wand ready. Noticing it was a fellow Auror, he placed his wand back into his pocket, though not looking very happy while doing so.  
  
"No. That all?" Harry asked, stooping to pick up the condense of the file. Glaring a bit, Schell closed the storage room door and continued, "  
  
I recognize her from last night; she's the woman who told us where to find that alley. She asked how long you had been around and said she had known you. Not very happy you are here either. Do you know any Aurors that came from Italy?"  
  
Jet/Harry shook his head, and continued to read, annoyed that the other man had disturbed him. All of the sudden, a hand gripped the edge of the folder and yanked it down.  
  
"Bloody hell, man, I don't know why your not curious! This new girl recognized your voice! She may be here to do something to this base! What am I suppose to do?"  
  
"Listen, Schell, I'm a very famous wizard, ok? I maybe met this girl once at training or something, how am I to know? We all change our names once we get assigned to a base. Never mind her and leave me alone."  
  
"You're in denial. Will you at least look at her once and then tell me not to worry? I was hoping stress would wear off once we got someone who knows what they're doing in here, but she's giving me the heeby-geeby's."  
  
"Fine, now lay off before my exhaled hatred for you turns violent."  
  
******  
  
Tessa yawned and leaned her head on her arm for support. History of Magic was the most boring class that ever existed and it was bad enough trying to stay awake for it, let alone trying to study for its test. The only exciting part is when Ronald Otly starts snoring and everyone throws something at him, but for some reason, he was out of class today, leaving the rest of the student's dead to the active world. When class was finally dismissed, Tessa joined her room mates in the talk of the next Quidditch match, Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor.  
  
There was Lisa Rockwall, who was a prefect and was a fellow Chaser for the team, though she was afraid of heights (as well as mice). Brought up in an old wizard family, Lisa was never able to see the point of Muggles, but great friends with dozens.  
  
Then there was Brandi Shami, an Australian girl who grew up in the land down under and was in an arranged marriage, but was able to slither her way of it when Hogwarts owled her. She was always had hundreds of boyfriends, and could never keep a secret, but Tessa loved her talent for hair and makeup.  
  
Last, but certainly not least, was Haylie Black(**Yes, Haylies last name is Black.hehehe, I'm guessing you'll be able to predict where that came from.ok, back to the story!**), the American tom-boy with more talent as a Keeper than any other Hogwarts student to recent memory. Muggle born and raised, Haylie was forced to leave her home when she got her letter and never returned, much to her advantage. Independent, witty and hilarious, Tessa and her had become inseparable sense their first year and best friends at Hogwarts.  
  
Tessa's life at Hogwarts was never boring, considering Brandi always had something to tell about her home, or Haylie embarrassing herself with Muggle tales before her school days, or maybe Lisa's rich parents would send the latest rage by owl post. They knew almost everything about each other, and were pretty much the best friends any girl could have.  
  
While walking back to the Ravenclaw common room, where they planned to drop their stuff before dinner, they bumped into Troy Plehyes, the head boy from Slytherin.  
  
"Hello Tessa. Was your break good?" he asked, leaning a bit too far over for comfort.  
  
"Yes, it was one to remember," she responded, trying to move around the towering student and flee with her friends.  
  
"Miss me?" he hissed gently, moving his hand to her cheek.  
  
"Oh-my gosh. I can't believe your such an idiot!" Haylie said, stepping between them in Tessa's aid.  
  
"What do you care, you American brat. It's not any of your business." Troy said, trying to move the 7th year Ravenclaw girl.  
  
"It's plenty of my business when my friend is getting sexually harassed. Back home, we'd have the police on you with-in two minutes."  
  
Then Lisa said from behind, "Not very head boy of you to call her an American brat."  
  
Troy made a move away from Haylie and toward Lisa when someone said from down the hall, " Ms. Mourning, Mr. Plehyes, come with me please."  
  
Professor McGonagall didn't look to happy at all and Tessa glanced at the girls before she made any move.  
  
"See you at dinner," Brandi said and they watched the head boy and girl leave.  
  
"Some day I'm gonna rip his head off," Haylie predicted.  
  
~Sometime later...~  
  
Up in Dumbledores office, where unexpectedly the Professor led the students, McGonagall went off on the Slytherin boy.  
  
"I can't believe you, of all people, would use someone's homeland against them like that. That's no way to be an example. Now I want you to apologize to Ms. Mourning here and her friend, Ms. Black."  
  
After Troy apologized, he was sent away, leaving the teacher and Tessa to talk.  
  
"Professor, why did you lead us here? I'm sure you could have yelled at that snotty, arrogant, ass..."  
  
"Because I wanted to see you, Ms. Mourning," Dumbledore's interrupted from the entrance to the room.  
  
"And, of course, for you to except an apology from him. Thank you, Professor, for finding her on such short notice. I'll be down to dinner shortly."  
  
McGonagall took her leave and the headmaster sat, facing the head girl. "Why did you miss the train last Saturday?" was his first question.  
  
"No ride. I'm sorry, sir, it will never happen again."  
  
"Quite alright, Ms. Mourning. Do you have anything else to tell me?"  
  
Tessa wanted badly to blurt out the whole story then, explain the situation at the bar, tell about her home, her visitor, but she knew he could not help and should not know. At least not now. Struggling against confessing everything, she found herself saying, "No sir. Everything's fine."  
  
  
  
** I know the chapter just kinda ended, but I had this really good thing going when my pc was unplugged. Yes, I killed my brother, but not able to remember what I wrote! I'm such an idiot, but oh well. This chapter gives you a bit of an eye into the future, with Tessa's dream and some other hints along the way. Dissels past was really hard to write, so I hope its not to choppy for all of you. OK, next, Harry sees Ginny, Tessa plays a bit of Quidditch, and guess what, Haylie's role in the story sticks out after she kicks some serious ass. Please review and hope your liking the story so far! ** By the way, is this ne better to read? I'm trying my best to figure this out! 


	7. New Faces Turn Heads

G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and unexpected alliances. ~ Comical, romantic, different than you would expect! ~  
  
New Faces Turn Heads  
  
A knock on Ginny's door woke her with a start, causing her to sit up quickly and check to make sure her notebook was where she left it. She didn't know how long her semi-conscious state had lasted, but was quick to note that some linens and food had been left on her desk. Someone had entered the room while she was sleeping, and the thought made the reporter shiver.  
  
The knock became more sharp and impatient, reminding Ginny of why she was creeping herself out instead of being relaxed, warm, and dancing in Ginny World.  
  
"Hang on!" she called, pushing herself off the mattress and over to her wardrobe to find her wand.  
  
Meanwhile, the person standing in the hallway seemed to lean against the unsteady, wooded barrier into the room and inhaled deeply.  
  
"I'm sorry to inconvenience you, Chess, but for some reason Schell insisted that we meet. May I come in?" Harry said. After Schell had left the little back room, Harry had left for his own office and attempted to start on some paper work, but for some reason couldn't shimmy his way out of thinking about the new stragitist. Now he found himself outside of her room, wondering why the voice he heard call out to him seem so familiar and searched his past to try and place it.  
  
He had juggled his work, social, and celebrity-style life so unsurely after he graduated from Hogwarts that it became a big mess. The media had practically begun to live at his flat, his social life had slumped till it was almost non-existent because of work, where he wasn't allowed to go out and actually fight because an accident on the field, leaving someone dead on his call. On his way into a major nervous breakdown, Pelican caught him and helped the poor teenager get his life back into his own hands. Harry rarely left the underground base, had made tons more friends in his new habitat and didn't need to fear the press watching him shower or something.  
  
He still missed his friends dearly, though, and all the adventures they used to get in. Ron, Harry's first real friend ever made and now almost an adopted brother, was spending the rest of his teenage years as Keeper for England's Quidditch team. Traveling, playing and making loads of money, Harry was positive his best friend was having the time of his life.  
  
Then again, Hermione was also part of Ron's life, maybe making it even better. Having a girlfriend who was making all the difference in the wizarding world must make you feel better about yourself, Harry thought to himself with a smile. She had been the top student in their class (duh) and was working at the ministry as the head of "Misuse of Magic", making her the youngest person to be in charge of a ministry department in history!  
  
The only other person who could have made as high as Hermione's marks and wiggle her way into the history books was Ginny. He had become rather fond of her after she grew out of her most embarrassing crush on him. She was able to challenge his wits, without making him feel stupid as Hermione did, or beat him at Quidditch without making him feel like a loser. She had grown and matured an lot, he recalled, thinking about her gorgeous hair, deep brown eyes, full lips.he had to think about someone else. She was his best friends little sister, after all!  
  
But then he found he couldn't think of anyone else when Chess opened her dorms door and he was forced to face those shocked brown eyes.  
  
*******  
  
One week later  
  
Tessa dive and made a grab at the Quaffle, but missed when she was distracted by the Gryffindor Seeker swoop for the Snitch. Haylie, the Ravenclaw captain, bounced on her broom, trying to get her attention. Get the ball, she mouthed, then caught the Quaffle, which the other teams Chaser had got, easily and threw it with all her might toward Tessa. She grabbed for it again, this time catching it, and flew to the other teams post, tossing it to Lisa for an easy score.  
  
With cheers, the team followed Haylie in a victory lap, and then went back to their positions. Haylie, captain and Keeper, of course; Tessa, Lisa and a 4th year boy named Troy Zappit were the Chasers; Beaters were 7th year boys named Justin Tipe and William Zonk; and last the Ravenclaw Seeker, a 5th year perfect named Jordan Hersmith. Quick and speedy, the team was battling to beat the champions of 9 years, Gryffindor Lions. So far, though, Ravenclaw was 40 points behind.  
  
"The Quaffle is thrown again and Gryffindors' Jakes takes it in an impressive twist," Bobby Taffy, a Gryffindor of course, was announcing for the game, "He's moving toward Black, who seems to.wait, was that a yawn from her? Oh, baby, your going to get your little tail whi...she jumped off the broom and caught it! That has to be a foul. Oh, Zappit flies under and gets the Quaffle 'dropped' by Black, and he's heading for the other side..ouch, banged in the arm by a Bludger. Gryffindor takes control of the ball yet again..flying to the post.Haylie Black seems to be giving some kind of signal.wait, why did he drop the Quaffle? Mourning takes it and is running down the field..Hersmith diving! The Snitch! Tessa throws the Quaffle at Jake..why?...NO! Don't dive! Jake gets the Quaffle, but you cut your Seeker off, you idiot! Hersmith grabs the Snitch! RAVENCLAW WINS, 210 to 100!!"  
  
The crowd was going wild as the team swooped down to congratulate each other and visit with their friends. Tessa breathed an easy, happy sigh, temporarily forgetting her life's turmoil. Quidditch seemed to always clear her head and relax her. When Ginny was still on the Gryffindor team, they would go for days without speaking to each other before the game, playing pranks, betting large sums of money, etc. Now that Ginny was gone, Tessa was Head Girl and three out of the four Ravenclaw 7th year girls were on the team, she didn't have any stress or anxiety.  
  
Brandi ran up, dragging her current guy, and pulled her and Haylie into a bone crushing hug, tugging Tessa out of her thoughts. "WE WON!! YOU WON!!" she screamed at her roommates, jumping while still holding them.  
  
"Well, now, I see I'm not loved," Lisa said, standing behind the group pouting and ignoring the wild Ravenclaws trying to congratulate her.  
  
Laughing, they squeezed her in and continued to dance happily when someone screamed terribly. All stunned, they looked to the voice and saw a giant grim rushing into the Forbidden Forest. Panic broke lose and most of the spectators ran to the safty of the castle.  
  
"Ravenclaw team, into the locker room!" Haylie's yelled, then, to Tessa's horror, turned and ran after the evil symbol.  
  
******  
  
The day wasn't the best for walking conditions, but Draco knew that Dumbledore would be expecting the news right away. Twisting and turning through the hallways of his home, he made his way to his room and grabbed his cloak.  
  
Draco had grown to be a walking god to most girls. His height had exceeded most men as it was six foot and his build was lean and fit. His facial features hadn't changed much sense his school years; still had a straight nose, full lips, high cheek bones and piercing gray eyes. There was only one error to him, and that was the always burning of the Dark Mark on his wrist.  
  
But he ignored it as he threw on his cloak and Apparated to Hogsmade.  
  
He arrived at the gates of Hogwarts, where he let himself in and started to make his way to the castle. Cheers could be heard from the Quidditch stadium, and he hoped against reason that Dumbledore would be in his office. He didn't feel like watching the game, but if one was going on, most likely the headmaster was there to witness it. Sighing, Draco plowed his way through the snow toward the field.  
  
Memories rushed back, evil thoughts lured and Draco could only remember when, on this same field, he held his wrist out for the Dark Lord to brand him.  
  
He shook his head and concentrated on his task, telling the Headmaster about the search for Harry Potter and his Godfather. Draco had become, like Snape, a double agent, once his master had killed his parents during his sixth year. Revenge was in his blood, and because his enemy had killed his parents, took over his home, and laid out Draco's future, all he wanted to do was bring him down.  
  
Easier said than done.  
  
He had made it to the field in time to see the Ravenclaw Keeper flick a Gryffindor off, causing him to drop the Quaffle. Draco smirked at the girl, happy to note that the Ravenclaws were much better prepared than in his years. He then witnessed a clever play, and saw Ravenclaw Seeker holding the Snitch for everyone to see.  
  
Draco couldn't help jump and cheer with the Ravenclaws and happily watch the Gryffindor team shuffle off the field. In all the excitement, though, he searched the crowd carefully for Dumbledore. Taller than most, he was the first to see the black dog at the other side of the stadium. "Sirus," Draco said to himself, dashing around the back of the crowd where no one could see him and making his way to his target.  
  
Damn, they must have seen me, he thought when the first scream was heard and people began to rush to the castle.  
  
"Ravenclaw team, into the locker room!" was the only command he heard, before he took off toward the Forbidden Forest, where he last saw Sirus running to. Draco's long legs carried him over the bushes and between trees; he dodged the creatures of the wood and avoided any path incase someone could be following him...  
  
Someone WAS following him!  
  
He heard a rustle behind him and he stopped to make no noise. His eyes searched for the person as well as for the big dog he was chasing. The noise was getting closer and out of nowhere he heard a female voice curse carry on.  
  
"Damn dog! I should be celebrating and eating but no, ol' daddy has to show up and ruin the day. When I find him I'm gonna.oof!" the girl fell into Draco's view and he saw it was the Ravenclaw Keeper.and Sirus daughter?!  
  
Confused, he walked over to her and offered his hand to pull her up. She just stared at it and him before pushing it aside and getting up by herself.  
  
"Malfoy," she spat, "what in the world are you doing here?"  
  
Regaining himself, he stood straight and stared down at her before saying, "I'm a school governor; I think I have the right to look in as I please. Who are you?"  
  
Narrowing her black eyes (Sirus' eyes), she answered, "I would think a governor would know me, considering I was the student who was put under school arrest during the Black escape my first year," her eyes flashed before she continued, "besides Potter, of course."  
  
Draco had never known that during his time at school that the child of a mass murderer was eating meals with him two tables away! He would never admit that, though. "I was at school at the time so I wouldn't know much about with happened six years ago."  
  
"Oh, but you should. Malfoy, I knew of you during your stay at Hogwarts. You were most famous! The glorious hunk that lived in the dungeons. Well, you may have the face but you don't have the brains," she stated, patting his shoulder before explaining in a preschool teacher voice, "you can't become a school governor until you're child is in the school, darling. For someone that's such a good liar you screwed that one up."  
  
"I guess your right. Tell me who you are and I'll tell you what I'm doing here."  
  
"Haylie Black, 7th year Ravenclaw and Captain of the team."  
  
"Hence the robe. I am trying to find a shrub to make a potion." He lied, looking her up and down.  
  
She golden blond hair was pulled back into a high pony tail, curling slightly at its ends. Her eyes were set on high cheek bones and a nose that crooked a bit from, he guessed, a Quaffle or Bludger hitting it. Under that were her lips, the bottom bigger than the top and a freckle just beneath it. Her frame was little and her height was about five foot five, she looked too small to be a Keeper. When he looked at her eyes again, they were smiling.  
  
"What?" he questioned.  
  
"You caught the Snitch in the first ten minutes against us a couple of years ago. I remember telling myself that when I was captain, I would make sure my Beaters would be all over you. Pity you graduated."  
  
"Ha ha. What are you doing here, Black?"  
  
"I'm looking for a Quaffle that was thrown in here. The teachers shouldn't know, though. The Forbidden Forest is forbidden" She said, looking at him like there was nothing to hide. He knew it was a lie, but he might as well play along, this girl could help him.  
  
"Oh, well let me help you." He said.  
  
"Nah, that's ok. Bye," she began to walk off, but he stepped into her way.  
  
"This place is dangerous, I shouldn't leave you alone."  
  
"Like you could help me. I bet you've never even been in here before anyway."  
  
"My first year I was forced to wander around this place with nothing but a dog, lamp, and Harry Potter himself."  
  
Her eyes flared, to his surprise, with jealousy and she turned to walk the other way. "That was a decade ago, and spare me the story."  
  
"Why? Don't you want to know about Potter? He did save the world, after all." Draco pressed, pulling on the back of her robe.  
  
He didn't expect to hear her sniffle and he circled her to see her face. She lifted her eyes to him for one second, long enough for him to see that she was no longer jealous or angry, but hurt.  
  
"If I wanted to know anything more about Harry Potter, all I'd have to do was mention his name to my father, and I'd get an earful about the successes and how he's like his father and what a great Harry is. I don't need any outside help. Just let me go."  
  
"Who's your father?"  
  
"Doesn't matter, let me go."  
  
"I think it matters."  
  
"Why would I tell a Death Eater? LET ME GO!" and with that, Haylie pushed him, showing more strength than he had guessed she had, and sprinted deeper into the forest, letting Draco lie there in wonder.  
  
"Strange girl. I'll be seeing her soon." He said out loud, forgetting about the news to the headmaster and apparated to his house.  
  
******  
  
Dissel avoided the main halls next to the Dark Lords room as much as possible. He didn't enjoy socializing with young, over-excited, naïve Death Eaters who always wanted to make a good impression towards their master. The sight disgusted him, so he instead used the servants runaways. Of course, he wasn't always lucky enough to get away from his peers.  
  
"Dissel," Draco Malfoy called from behind the man, striding towards him.  
  
"Yes?" Dissel answered, turning to get a better look at his fellow Death Eater.  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to get caught up, considering we only have spoken twice sense my promotion so we don't know anything about each other, and I like to know my comrades." he drawled, leaning onto the wall.  
  
Dissel noted that he was covered in dirt and his usual up-kept appearance was replaced with dishevel hair and twigs sticking out of his cloak. "Malfoy Jr., aren't you almost always outside tempting the girls?"  
  
"Yes, but I was interested in seeing you turn into the servants quarters. Avoiding our Lord, are we?"  
  
"How did you know it was the servant's quarters?"  
  
Draco rolled his eyes. "I've lived here sense I was born, hence the name Malfoy Manor."  
  
Dissel didn't like this kid, his sarcasm, laziness and cleverness made an indirect threat. Draco, not noticing the other mans silence, pushed himself off the wall and folded his arms over his chest. "Why are you avoiding Voldemort?" he questioned more to the point now.  
  
"I'm not, just not in the mood to deal with his fans," Dissel responded, standing up straight so he was eye to eye with younger boy. The men continued to stare till Draco smiled and starting walking in the other direction.  
  
"See you next meeting," he drawled over his shoulder.  
  
Dissel shrugged off the feeling of the boys' presence and continued down the corridor to his room. The same guard stood at the door, eyeing him carefully then opening the door. He sat himself in front of a table and ringed for a house elf to bring up his dinner. Then he let his mind wander.  
  
Tessa was more trouble then he had originally thought. She was back at school for about 15 days and all the owls he had sent her had been returned saying the same thing, "Dissel, you not getting anything till my parents and brothers are at home making tea and sending me presents. Yours Truly, Tessa."  
  
If she had been anywhere else than Hogwarts and working directly for his master, Dissel believe she would have been strangled by him for than once. She seemed to be keeping quiet, though. That gave him reassurance that she was still imitated by him and guilty talking to him at Knotty Nicks that night..  
  
((memory: He wasn't getting an answer from the gorgeous red-head he had asked to dance with. Instead, she seemed to be concentrating on her shoes, which were on her lap, not on her feet.  
  
"Snap out of it Ginny!" the other girl whispered into her ear and the red- head popped out of her zone long enough to notice him and say every nicely, "Oh, sorry. Nah, thanks for asking, I'm just not in the mood."  
  
He was disappointed, who wouldn't be? The woman looked like she had just fallen from heaven. Just as he was turning to go, her friend touched his arm and smiled.  
  
"Well, if she won't, I will," she offered. "Do you mind settling for little old me?"  
  
He smiled back and took her hand to lead her onto the floor. Though he wasn't able to get the goddess, her angle would be just fine. He inspected her a bit before pulling her into his arms and starting to sway to one of his favorites, 'Broken Wand'.  
  
"Sorry about my friend. She seems to have been hit with a love spell." She said, sighing and tossing her black hair out of her face.  
  
"It's ok. I'm Dissel. What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Tessa Mourning and that was Ginny Weasley. We're just out here to get her thoughts away from this job offer. Seemed to work, huh?" Tessa giggled.  
  
"Where do you work?" he asked, looking at Ginny. He had heard of the name Weasley before. Both from the papers about Ron Weasley's Quidditch success and from Draco Malfoy, who just got a promotion and was working in the circle, who talked about Harry Potter's best friend. He may be able to use that on his search for Sirus Black.  
  
"Oh, I don't work. I'm still a student at Hogwarts. 7th year, finally. But Ginny is a reporter for the Weekly Prophet. She asked her boss about doing a story and he said he'll tell her after the weekend. I really don't like him, considering I was the one to pull her out of the toilet and polish her up. My parents were so mad today when I got home to change for tonight because I used magic and I'm not allowed to till tomorrow when I get back to school. My mom works in Misuse of Magic department, so I think she'll get me out of it.maybe not after the rumble we had this afternoon. Anyways, where do you work?"  
  
Boy, she was a talkative one, he thought to himself. Maybe he could get to talk more about Ginny's brother. "Well, I'm a Quidditch player, so I don't get to read much in Daily or Weekly Prophets. Does your friend have an older brother in the game?"  
  
"Oh yes, Ron Weasley. I play too! I'm a Chaser for my house team, and my room mate, Haylie Black is the captain and Ke.ouch! My foot!" the girl stopped, letting go of him and hopping up and down on the uninjured leg.  
  
"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, I'm usually better at this." He apologized automatically, helping her but couldn't get the name out of his mind. Haylie Black. Black. The same last name of the person he was trying to track down for his lord!  
  
"Its ok, you must have just recognized her name. Haylie is the best Keeper in history and every team is trying to get her to sign with them!" Tessa exclaimed proudly. "She gets it from both her parents. Her mom was wonderful and she told Haylie that her father was great at it, too. Haylie wouldn't know, though, because when she was still living in America, he disappeared and now.." she blushed as if knowing she gave away too much. "I'm sorry, but please don't tell anyone." Dissel just nodded and grinned happily. He had found the roommate of, or at least who could be, Blacks daughter! Tessa seemed not to get the connection between the criminal and her friend, though. All for the better, he told himself, making a plan in his head.  
  
"Um, I better go scold Ginny for not dancing with such a cute and nice man," she said, standing embarrassingly and saying good-bye.  
  
"Good-bye, thanks for the dance," he called after her, "and I'll be seeing you soon." he murmured the rest under his breath, leaving the bar and taking out his mask.))  
  
He had decided that night that Tessa was the link to getting Sirus, and then he would be able to present his master with the one thing he wanted most, Harry Potter.  
  
******  
  
Ginny slumped against her chair in exhaustion, trying to answer the questions swarming her. She had only been there for a week and already seen two raids, controlled a rescue search, wrote forty pages of notes for her column and deceived Harry into believing she was someone else. She spent her days as Chess and her nights as a reporter, all the while working side- by-side with Schell, the man she had vowed she'd do anything to find after the alley attack, and Harry, the man she had sent a singing valentine to during her first year. She still blushed at the though of that.  
  
"Chess, you look horrible. The nights are for sleeping around here, not working. You need rest," Harry, who stood behind her, said. To his and everyone else's eyes, she had straight brown hair, freckles, glasses and a mole the size of a small lemon on her chin. Schell went along with it, believing her out there explanation.  
  
"Chess, where did your red-hair and face go?" he had whispered to her in a low voice while Pelican introduced her to the staff.  
  
"This is the real me. The poly juice has worn off," she had responded, shaking hands with some random person.  
  
Everyone seemed to be relieved to have an "experienced stragitist" there and working. She had ignored the stare from Schell and the confused look from Harry when she went into the crowd to mingle with people.  
  
Now she felt like she was about to explode! Harry was right, the nights are for sleeping, and that's exactly what she was going to do.  
  
"Your right, Jet, I'm in for a good-night sleep. 'Night everyone." Ginny called, then got up and left the office.  
  
Harry watched after her till she was out of sight, then took his leave and wandered around, not ready to go to bed. There was something odd about Chess, he knew it but couldn't place it. Those eyes and voice, so much like Ginny, so familiar, yet the person were in no way her. She looked different and she acted different; less confident and quieter, like she was always surveying.  
  
"Jet!" someone called from behind him and he turned to see Schell there.  
  
"Yes?" he murmured, rolling his eyes and turning so he could keep walking.  
  
"I'm trying to place Chess. How did you know her?"  
  
"I've never met her before in my life, but she seems so much like someone else I know. someone I just cant get my mind off of."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"No one. Why?"  
  
"Well, when she arrived, she looked just like the girl who tipped us off in the alley a week ago. When I asked her about it, she said she was just wandering around, looking for stuff because she already knew the job. She had mentioned something about you, so I sent you down to her dorm to meet her, and when you came back, she had changed. She told me it was Poly juice, but I'm just lost."  
  
"Poly juice? What's so confusing about that?"  
  
"That's not the confusing part. I think she's wanted for or hiding something and refuses to be out in public as her self. That's my theory, anyway"  
  
Harry stopped and looked at the other man, who was only and couple years older than him, and snapped, "Well, your theories are bullshit. Last time I listened to one, I ended up not allowed to go into the field anymore, so maybe you should just take your crap and flush it like everyone else wants you to do."  
  
"Man, that wasn't my fault," Schell said, feeling his fury boil up.  
  
"Well, it doesn't matter; I got blamed for it anyway."  
  
"It doesn't even matter."  
  
"It mattered to the department; it mattered to me; most of all it mattered to Tanil, who's lying five feet under dirt somewhere in France." Harry breathed before he said, "Let's leave it at that. Good Night, Schell."  
  
"Go fuck yourself, Jet."  
  
"Unlike you, I can find someone to do that with..for free."  
  
Harry had to run the rest of the way back to his dorm, unfortunate to have left his wand there.  
  
**WOW!! This chapter is LONG!! Upon request from a dear friend (Lacy) I have decided to add Draco into the story, so for all you Draco fans out there, Merry Christmas! Anyways, having Harry not know who Ginny is seems to make more sense for now, more dramatic later so I guess I lied when I said he was going to "see" her. Next chapter Tessa and Brandi spill a bit more about the past, Sirus and Harry converse about Haylie, Ginny gets chewed out by her boss and Draco makes an appearance to Haylie, who is going to show us all the true meaning behind trust. Thanks and PLZ REVIEW!!!!!** 


	8. Challenging the Trust

G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and unexpected alliances. ~ Comical, romantic, different than you would expect! ~ Challenging the trust  
  
Brandi and Tessa lounged on Tessa's bed, towels in their hair and wearing old, comfortable robes so they could sprawl as they please. Today was the tribute to the Head Girl and Head Boy, a fabulous feast with close friends and family. She had to make a speech, which was usually no problem for her, but it was dedicated to her parents, who Dissel ensured wouldn't be attending.  
  
Hugging her knees, she sat staring into space, unaware that Brandi was looking at her in concern. She tapped Tessa's foot with her own, trying to gain attention from her close friend. Tessa focused back on her roommate, thinking of how jealous she used to be of Brandi's beauty.  
  
The Australian girl had olive skin that was smooth and flawless; she never had to worry about sunburns or pimples, just how much blush she needed. Her hair was a shade of brown that highlighted her face perfectly, though she thought her natural bouncy curls were evil and straightened them everyday with her wand. Brandi's eyes revealed all her emotions if you knew her well enough. She had no constant color, only green when she's happy, blue when she's sad and purple when she's angry.  
  
Right now, she was looking into a deep indigo. "What's wrong?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Nothings wrong, its just you've been so depressed lately. I want to know what's wrong with you."  
  
"I'm just nervous."  
  
"I'm not talking about only today, Tessa. You've been acting this way sense we've come back from the break, about 18 days ago. Haylie and Lisa have been noticing it too, but I'm the only one brave enough to ask. You haven't been getting mail from your parents or Ginny. What's happened?"  
  
Tessa bowed her head. So many times over the years she found herself on her bed with her roommates, ready to cry, kill or smile. She knew she would miss that horribly, being able to share all secrets, dramas and stories with her friends. This was different, though. Never before could she share something and have everyone become in danger. This was too risky.  
  
"I can't say."  
  
Brandi's eyes went from blue to black.hurt. "No one is telling me anything anymore. I miss knowing what's going on in everyone's lives!"  
  
"Brandi, I.." Tessa tried to interrupt, but she was stalled when tears began to run done her friends' cheeks.  
  
"This is all happening so fast. We come back from Christmas and everything is blocked off from me! You just being unhappy and scared and every time you get mail from your uncle you look like you're about to go on a rampage." At the mention of Dissel, her "uncle", Tessa flinched but Brandi kept going, "Head Girl seems to beat on you and it tells me that Ginny is no longer there for you to lean on. Oh, but it's not only you. Lisa is quiet and squirmish, spending all her time on the Quittitch field and ignoring food, sleep and studies. She has a problem I can't knock out of her, also, and it's ripping her insides apart. Then there's Haylie, who ran after a grim three days ago, scaring us all to death, and comes back looking like she ran into the Devil. Sense her moods have been either mad or sad.Why are you all so unhappy? I want to help!"  
  
Tessa put a hand on Brandi's shaking shoulder, but it was shrugged off. She sighed and told her friend, "You are helping. Being here, letting me know you want to comfort and protect me. You are a true friend by being happy while the rest of us are depressed, unwilling to release the storms that are battling within our minds. Brandi, I need you just to be happy and yourself, that's how you can help."  
  
Brandi smiled through her tears at this, a speech that only a person who cares enough can say. She wiped the wetness off on the back of her hand and took her hair down from her towel before saying, "I remember when we first met, all of us. On the train to Hogwarts; I was standing in the hall looking for a room. I had no friends, no luggage, only a wedding gown, the letter and wand. It was my wedding day, but none of my family or friends cared that I was accepted to the best magic school the wizarding world held, they only cared about traditions. I was eleven, yet promised to be wed before I left my mother womb to another family's son."  
  
Tessa leaded back against her pillows, never hearing much about Brandi's almost marriage and eager to remember as well. Brandi continued.  
  
"He was older than me in fact. Never attended Hogwarts, he was sent to Qynt School of Wizardy down home. Very nice but not ready to be married, though. With all the evil spreading through the world, our parents found it best for us to marry and make proper heirs, like in the olden days. He didn't believe in that, he wanted love," she sighed and continued, "He is the kinda guy I would chase now. At the wedding, he was waiting for me to come down the isle, but knowing there was another plan in mind. We had discussed it; it was his idea for me to run. I had my wand hidden in my bouquet and was smart enough to know about the Knight Bus, which I flagged down and boarded while the flower girl was throwing her petals. Somehow, I managed to get on the Hogwarts Express on time, and that's when Lisa came along."  
  
Tessa beamed at Brandi, proud that she, at such a young age, fled her home, disgraced her family all the in sake of Hogwarts. Brandi smiled back at the mention of Lisa, and slowly continued telling Tessa the story while she remembered.  
  
((memory: The first thing Brandi noticed about the other girl was that she was already wearing her school robes, which Brandi reminded herself she didn't have. Looking down, she tried to pass the girl and find a vacant compartment where she could write to the school about that problem. The girl wouldn't let her pass, though, and instead offered her hand.  
  
"Hi, I'm Lisa Rockwall." Lisa introduced herself when Brandi placed her white gloved hand into hers.  
  
"Um, I'm Brandi Shami," she answered.  
  
"There are no more open rooms down that way, so you can come sit with me." Lisa offered. Brandi nodded and was lead into a compartment, where there were already three guys sitting.  
  
"This is Bobby Taffy, Justin Tipe and Chile Searish. They're all first years, including me. What year are you in?"  
  
"First." Brandi said, smiling at the guys.  
  
"What's with the dress?" Justin asked, looking at it up and down.  
  
"Um, a muggle wedding dress."  
  
"Are you Muggle-born?!" Lisa asked in awe, sitting down.  
  
"Nah, it's just my family tradition to have Muggle-like weddings."  
  
"Why are you getting married? You're eleven!" Chile exclaimed.  
  
"Here, you can put on one of my robes," Lisa offered, noticing that her new friend seemed a bit uncomfortable with the conversation. "All of you, out for a minute!"  
  
After the boys were shooed away, Brandi took off the lavish dress and Lisa fingered with it while the other girl pulled on the robe.  
  
"I've never seen a Muggle wedding dress," she announced quietly, having her hand drift over the beads before saying, "It's beautiful."  
  
The rest of the trip past and when Brandi got off the train, she had made many new friends and was happier than she had ever been in her life. They followed a giant onto boats and glided over the surface of the lake like fish. Seated in the boat with them was another girl, who shyly looked at the new friends with hope.  
  
"Hi, I'm Brandi and this is Lisa. What's your name?"  
  
"Haylie. Are you from Australia?" she asked timidly.  
  
"Yes I am. What house do you want to be in?"  
  
"House?" The girl had an accent, but it was so vague Brandi couldn't place it.  
Lisa looked at Haylie wide-eyed before saying, "Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff! Don't you know about them?"  
  
Haylie tilted her head and opened her month to say something when the boat bumped against the shore. The first years were scooted into the large castle and told to wait to be sorted. Everyone was nervously flinching and straightening their clothes when a muffled shriek was heard. Brandi, who was standing between Lisa and Bobby, turned to see a small girl getting pushed by another girl, who happened to be huge.  
  
"Someone help her!" she whispered to her friends, pitying the victim.  
  
Haylie seemed to get the message, because she walked up and tapped the big girls arm.  
  
"Excuse me, but would you do as the teacher said? You'll make all of us look bad."  
  
"What do 'ya mean?"  
  
Brandi stood up next to her new friend, who she prayed would be in the same house as her. "She means that if this sorting is a beauty contest, you better brush your hair, straighten your robe, get the gunk out of you eyes and blow your nose."  
  
Stifled laughs and "oohs" were distributed around the crowd and the girl looked ready to kill. Before any blood could be spilled, the professor returned and they were lead into a big room the size of.well..a big room.  
  
They passed the older students silently; aware of all the stares and whispers they gave on and other, and stopped in front of a platform holding a big table with all the professors at it.  
  
A hat was placed in front of them and the top opened to sing a poem to them, explaining each of the houses in turn. When it was finished, the professor started calling students to sit on the stool and have the hat placed on their heads.  
  
"Black, Haylie." There were many gasps throughout the older students. Even Lisa inhaled deeply at the sound of it.  
"What?" Brandi whispered to her friend as Haylie passed them and made her way up to the hat.  
  
"That's the name of the escaped murdered. Black. I wonder if she's related."  
  
Then they were quiet again as the hat was dropped. Many seconds slowly went by, all eyes were on Haylie. Pressure seemed to swirl, the room was dead silent. It was broken then by a giggle, sweet and cheerful, that came from Haylie. Everyone then laughed and talked quietly among themselves till the hat announced, "Ravenclaw!"  
  
An applause broke lose, mostly from the Ravenclaw table, and Haylie hurried to sit with her new house. More students went, all of them place in their proper houses and Brandi began to feel nervous that she and Lisa may not be together.  
  
"Mourning, Tessa." The girl that was being pushed in the hallway hopped onto the stool and merely seconds later she was announced a Ravenclaw. She sat next to Haylie and they started conversation, which Brandi wanted very badly to be apart of. Lisa was called next.  
"Good luck," she whispered to Brandi, and then sat down. "  
  
Ravenclaw!" it told the room and she was then sitting with Haylie and Tessa. She crossed her fingers, praying she would be put in the Ravenclaw house.  
  
"Shami, Brandi."  
  
She took the proper seat and felt the hat drop over her head. "Whoa, you've a lot of bravery, young Brandi. Running away from home to come here, leaving your family and friends. I'd think you'd be well in Gryffindor. But wait. You've got more wit then bravery, and your loyal, too. Hm.where to put you? In any house you'll do well, make friends and work hard, but let's see. What do you want?"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!" she screamed into her head.  
  
"Well then, you've got it! Ravenclaw!" its last words echoed in the hall.  
  
Brandi collapsed next to Lisa and told them what the hat had said.  
  
"Strange, it knew where I was to go right away. By the way, I'm Tessa. I've already thanked Haylie for helping me, and I just wanna say thanks to you, too."  
  
"Brandi. Nice to meet you."  
  
"Oh, you're from Australia! Wow, I'm gonna have a fabulous time here, such a variety of cultures to live with!" Tessa was so excited.  
  
"Variety of other cultures?"  
  
"I'm from the US," Haylie said, then looked at Lisa, "and no, I'm not related to any mass murderers that I know of, sorry."  
  
Lisa's face went white and she asked, "That you know of?"  
  
Before Haylie could answer, the Headmaster stood to make his speech.))  
  
Tessa smiled at the memory, especially from Brandi's point of view. They had remained friends through all these years, fitting together so perfectly she had no doubt they were made to be buddies for the rest of their lives. Brandi smiled back, tears filling her eyes.  
  
"I think I may know what's wrong with Lisa, now." She said, wiping her eyes.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, we've all known she's had a crush on Justin for years, right?"  
  
Tessa rolled her eyes gladly, welcoming the fact that Brandi can't keep a secret if her life depended on it. "No, I didn't." she answered, laughing at Brandi's guilty expression  
  
*******.  
  
Lisa sat on the cold floor, holding the note in one limp hand and covering her eyes with the other. She didn't usually go through other people's mail, but when your friend looked like the walking dead, she was going to do her best to find what's wrong.  
  
It never occurred to her that Dissel could be the problem.  
  
Lisa stared at the note again, reading it in her mind for the 37th time:  
  
Ms. Mourning,  
  
I need your progress on the man I told you to scout, only then will your parents be safe.  
  
Yours, Dissel  
  
The note was so blunt, so much to the point with no details or offering of what the situation truly was. But Lisa knew; she knew very much this man. He had chased her once, too.  
  
******  
  
Sirus put his paws in front of him, stretching lazily and wondering about where he was going to get his next meal. He longed to be able to go to the castle again; Haylie always found a way to smuggle meals from the kitchen, but she was furious at him for all the commotion he caused at the Quidditch game. Not to mention that he had to stay in Hogsmade to see Harry that afternoon.  
  
Sirus thought about his godson with a big doggy grin. He was so proud about how well him and his friends had done with their lives, it was wonderful to see them all grown up and using their talents and skills to help the world. He also knew very well how proud they all were of him.  
  
Then there was Haylie. He had known about her for only about seven years, when he escaped and wrote to her mother. She was never his daughter, his baby girl or, by far, the apple in his eye. She was Haylie, the Ravenclaw Keeper who brought him food. He didn't know what she thought of him, though. She didn't adore him, like Harry did, or show respect to him because they were related. She rarely would be happy when he was around, or glad to see him. He knew the problem, though. Their DNA matched.  
  
Shaking his head, Sirus stood and walked out into the street, going back to the internal battle of where to get food.  
  
~Meanwhile, down the street.. ~  
  
Harry appeared in front of the Hogwarts gates, which were open as usual, and surveyed the area. Sirus wasn't expecting him so early, but he needed to get out from the base before he killed anybody. Making his way down the sidewalk, he began to relax. He had been visiting this little town sense he was a 3rd year still attending school. Here, no one jumped on him or asked for his autograph or wanted to pose in a picture with him. They all kept their distance, knowing the boy who lived was camera shy and usually was in no mood to sign anything.  
  
He passed his old flat, which the press had deserted, and remembered meeting the younger students there last year when they left the castle. Most often, Ginny and a friend would come play some prank on him and beg for free food, which he gave generously. Usually the friend was Tessa, some Ravenclaw that had become Ginny's closes companion, and she would go on about her singing or Ginny working for the Weekly Prophet.  
  
He remembered a conversation he had with the youngest Weasley about her new job. She had asked him why he never told her anything anymore and he just shrugged.  
  
"Let me see, is it because I'm writing columns in the newspaper?" she guessed.  
  
"Of course not.."  
  
"Don't you trust me?" she challenged, folding her arms over her chest and staring at him furiously.  
  
"I do!"  
  
"Well, for your information, everything about you is off the record, ok? I'm your friend!"  
  
She didn't forgive me for 3 months, he thought, smiling. From then on he trusted her and she didn't say anything, but that didn't mean the rest of the media would stop.  
  
He continued to walk, looking down alleyways and in dumpsters along the way for his godfather. He spot the big, black dog jogging toward the shrieking shack with a steak in it mouth and started jogging after him.  
  
"Sirus!" he whispered.  
  
When the dog didn't hear him, he tried again more loudly, "Sirus!"  
  
He turned around with a big doggy grin, then looked to make sure he was out of view of other bystanders and transformed. Spitting the raw meat out of his mouth, he opened his arms for a hug and exclaimed, "Harry!"  
  
Hugging tightly, the men pulled apart and studied each other. Harry had grown little taller than Sirus, making him just shy of six foot and his build was incredible from Auror training His hair, ever messy, was still black but lighting near the ends to seem like there was more then there really was. His mothers deep green eyes looked tried, but glowed with temporary happiness, no longer hidden behind his not-so-famous round glasses. Ginny had convinced him to get contacts, pronouncing he looked like Hermione with her reading glasses. The scar was there, right in the middle of his forehead where his bangs normally parted so everyone could see it.  
  
Sirus was never as sickly thin and pale as he was when they had first met. He ate regularly, filling him out to be lean and somewhat muscular, but he never made it to a gym (he's a murderer, duh). His skin was white because it was constantly being covered by fur and his eyes were a happy, sparkling black. His hair was also black, but shoulder length on account that there was usually no one there to cut it, but the look fitted him well.  
  
"You're going to eat raw meat?" the younger man asked, looking at the steak between them.  
  
Laughing, Sirus offered a piece of it to Harry saying, "I've got to stay alive and watch out for you, my boy."  
  
Looking disgusted, Harry jerked the steak out of his grip and threw it. "Great, now I bring you lunch."  
  
With a flick of the wand, a superior meal appeared on the Shrieking Shacks front porch. Practically drooling, Sirus dug right in and Harry watched with amusement. "I can't believe you sink as low as un-cooked steaks."  
  
"Usually Haylie brings me regular food, but.." Sirus stopped abruptly, cursing himself. He had meant to tell Harry about Haylie during this visit, but he hoped to approach the subject slower, with more caution.  
  
"There's that name again. You mention her all the time yet avoid telling me who she is. Are you two sleeping together or something?"  
  
"Harry!" he almost gagged.  
  
"Sorry, but for a while now her name has been slipping out."  
  
Huffing, Sirus took a bite of chicken and then turned to face his godson. "I was planning on telling you later today, but I guess I'll break the news now."  
  
The men looked at each other for a beat before he continued. "The year I escaped and found you, I wrote to the woman I've loved sense my school years, Ciara. We did marry, but when I was executed to Azkaban for life, she was chased out of England. She came back two years later and entered my cell with divorce papers and tears. It was my idea, I had told her years before to forget about me and move on. Before I signed the papers, she told me she would always love me," he smiled, "and she proved it."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Spare me the details of what you did. What I'm wondering is how you didn't get caught."  
  
"That's one of my Ciara's talents; she can do anything and get away with it."  
  
"This is not explaining who Haylie is."  
  
"I'm getting there. Well, some years later, I convinced a guard to give me a newspaper and saw Ron and Peter on the front page and escaped. You know that story. I wrote to her, as I said before, and she wrote back telling me she was in America, living as a Muggle and raising her child. I was stunned. I wanted her to be happy, but I could never think of her with another man. When I asked who her husband was, she said she hadn't remarried. Shocked, I asked who the father was, and she said it was me"  
  
Harry's eyes opened to the size of lemons and his jaw dropped. Not looking at his godson, Sirus continued.  
  
"Ciara told me she had kept my last name and given it to our child, who was a girl she named Haylie. She didn't have the heart to tell Haylie she would never meet her father, so my daughter didn't have a clue who I was. The ministry did, though, and if you thought you were under watch for me being out, she was under school arrest and had no idea why. When her mother wrote to her, explaining the whole situation, Haylie was furious and exclaimed she'd never go home again, and instead has been working right here in Hogmade during holidays sense she was twelve."  
  
The shock was wearing off and Harry began to look sympathetic. Hoping that was a good sign, Sirus ended the tale.  
  
"The night before Peter got away and I met you, Haylie snuck out and told me because I was her father, she was going to take care of me. Over the years, I've been writing to both you and her, wondering when to tell you about each other. She guessed about you about five years ago, but you never even imagined me having a child, so I didn't know how to break the ice. Three days ago I snuck up to watch her play Quidditch, she's the Ravenclaw Keeper and captain."  
  
"You daughter is Haylie Black?! The Haylie Black? She's more famous than me!" Harry just now seemed to bounce back to reality, making the connection.  
  
"Not quite, but she is talented. I think she gets it from me. Didn't you realize the last name before?"  
  
"Its kind of common, plus she doesn't look a thing like you."  
  
"She has my eyes, and my personality. In fact, I concluded before you arrived that our DNA matches."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why did you decide to tell me today?"  
  
"I had no idea when and how to tell you. I decided on today because I went up to the school three days ago and interrupted her victory over beating Gryffindor for the first time in a decade. I didn't mean to, but some student screamed and everyone thought I was a grim. I ran into the forest, and of course she ran after me. When I finally talked to her, she was furious about something and yelled about all sorts of things, one of them being you."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"She wanted you to know."  
  
"Better yet, she wanted you to stop lying to me," Harry began, feeling anger bubble in his gut. "She was told for eleven years something else about her father. I know what it feels like to be lied to for that long; the Dursleys did it to me about my parents, history and me being a wizard."  
  
"I cant image with she will do when Ciara tells her she's a witch, not Muggle." Sirus offhandedly said. Shaking his head, he told Harry, "I never lied to you, Harry. I would never do that. I just simply didn't tell."  
  
Harry nodded, feeling the anger leave him. "Do you love her?"  
  
"I've always loved Ciara."  
  
"I mean Haylie."  
  
Sirus's face paled and he seem to think about it. "I thought about you for the thirteen years I was in that horrible prison. I didn't thing about her, I didn't feel anything for her, and I even didn't know about her! It was always you and Ciara."  
  
"But do you love her?"  
  
Sirus took a bit of mashed potatoes before he said, "Its not like I love her less, its just I love you more, and I think she knows that."  
  
In the building, someone huddled close to the door, listening to every word.  
  
******  
  
Ginny rushed back to her dorm, feeling her hair begin to change back to red and the mole begin to shrink down to nothing. When she made it to her hallway, she sprinted till she was in the privacy of her room, locking the door behind her and breathing a sigh of relief. Stress had over taken her; she needed to find some other way to change her appearance other than poly juice.  
  
She walked to her mirror, looking into the reflection and finding her old self back, looking frustrated and tried. Sighing again, she closed her eyes and pondered on what excuse using to explain why she had run out of a board meeting. Leaning against the sink, she realized that she was worrying more over that then her story, the real reason why she was here.  
  
"Ginny, your not a Auror," she told herself firmly, and turned to face her bed, finding an unmistaken able red envelope and a regular one waiting for her. The howler was begging to sizzle, smoke coming out of the cracks.  
  
"Oh, no he didn't," she whispered to herself, eyes wide and backing into the sink, failing to put more room between her and it. Deciding it was the best idea to open it before it set the room up in flames, she ran over, grabbed a pillow, and tore it open, pressing the pillow over it to muffle. The screams could be heard easily through the feathers.  
  
"WEASLEY! YOU TOLD ME YOU'D STAY IN TOUCH AND ON TOP OF THIS AND SO FAR I HAVENT GOTTEN ANY NOTES FOR YOUR STORY! I'M GOING OUT ON A LIMB FOR YOU, YOUNG LADY, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR PROTECTION, BUT FOR YOUR CAREER! I EXPECT MORE UPDATES AND RESEARCH FROM MY REPORTERS! MAYBE YOU WERE JUST A BIG MISTAKE!! WHEN YOU GET BACK, I'M GOING TO STICK YOU BEHIND A DESK FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS! I EXPECT TO SEE YOU IN ONE HOUR!"  
  
She felt the howler burst into flames beneath the pillows and she sank to her knees, shaking. She needed out, and she needed it right now. Glancing at the other letter, she murmured something unprofessional and tore it open to find a dozen more hairs to put in her poly juice. At least he's still sending me her fur, she thought, placing Mrs. Tajue's spare hair aside and packing a bag for the weekend. Remembering the last time she left her bag full size and went through the passage into the base, she cleverly shrunk it and pushed it deep in her pocket. Placing the hairs into the envelope, she hid them from view, grabbed her notebook, and tapped the doorknob with her wand to make sure it was locked.  
  
Striding down the hallway, she stuck her head around the corner to make sure no one was coming, and then discretely walked toward the exit. She didn't feel like explaining to anybody about her appearance; she was lucky enough not to have to worry about Harry seeing her, because he had told everyone about his leaving the day before. Reaching the metal door that lead to the tunnel, she let out a sigh of relief. She missed her family and friends and daylight.she was glad she was going away for a while.  
  
"Chess?" someone said in awe behind her, and Ginny hid a groan before turning around to find Schell there, looking bewildered.  
  
"Come, lets go into the cave?" she offered, guiding the door open and letting the stale, dirt smell enter the base. He shuffled in hurriedly behind her, letting the door slam.  
  
"I'm going out for a couple of days," she told her, crossing her arms.  
  
"You use poly juice again?" he said, clearly noticing her curves this time.  
"Yeah."  
  
"I wanna meet the person who gives u these hairs," he muttered before realizing it, and, blushing a bit, asked, "We've got a raid in three days, though. We need you."  
  
She was flattered by his comment, still remembering the first time she met him on the street in that sleeping drinking town. "We're more than prepared and I need a break. Working non-stop for almost two weeks makes you lose sleep, but I'll be back for the raid."  
  
Nodding, he let her pass, then watched her look for a way out. She didn't see any other gum wrappers or Apparating ground and, feeling quite stupid, looked to the ceiling for a way out. She stood right under the hole she fell out of last time, then turned to Schell and said, "A little h.". Before she could finish her sentence, she was being dragged upward, twisting through the same worm-hole she adventured in before. Grasping her wand, she shut her eyes and waited almost patiently to feel solid ground again.  
  
With a not so graceful plop, she landed right next to Totell, the guard. He smiled and helped her up saying, "Ms. Furnet, good to see you again."  
  
She blushed, recalling when she gave a true name when you only were suppost to give a call, but snapped back to him, "It's Chess, Totell, and you could have at least given me some idea that around here you don't give a real name."  
  
His grin began to stretch even bigger when he told her, "I wanted to hear what the people down under would say about that. Pity the first person you saw was Schell; he never plays along with my jokes."  
  
"Some joke."  
  
"It would have been."  
  
Ginny couldn't help but smile back at him when he handed her her dropped wand and bowed to her as she walked away. She knew Mr. Tajue would be expecting her as soon as possible, so once she was out of sight from the comical guard, she Apparated to her bosses house.  
  
A tiny Muggle home, no bigger than two bedrooms, the house was very warm and cozy. She never noticed the details before when she was so nervous about a Death Eater popping out of a tree and killing her with an Unforgivable Curse. Thinking of that, she looked around behind her and searched for one, just in case.  
  
After confirming the absence of any evil doer, she rang the bell and waited to get the tantrum of her life. Instead an older woman opened the door, the exact picture of what Ginny looked like when she was Chess, considering she was using this woman's hairs.  
  
"My I help you?" Mrs. Tajue asked, crossing her arms over her chest.  
What a beast, Ginny thought to herself before she said, "I'm Ginny Weasley; I work for your husband. Is he home?"  
  
"He's at the office, and if your planning to go there, tell him he better pick up some flowers, I'm pissed."  
  
Stopping the grin that was about to form on her face, Ginny responded with a polite, "Yes, ma'am," and walked away, Apparating to her office.  
  
She stood in the middle of the room, thinking about all the long hours she worked there; overtime, weekends and late nights, sometimes even spending the night. Sighing, she left her work place and began to stroll down the hall, stalling time.  
  
"Gin! Hey, Ginny!" someone called behind her and she froze, recognizing that voice.  
  
What's Harry doing here? she though frantically, looking down at herself to make sure everything was in order.  
  
"Whoa, were you about to leave?" Harry panted, catching up to her and noticing her bewild look.  
  
"No, just.um.here, working. What are you doing here?" sweat began to form at her brow, and she wiped it away quickly.  
  
"Just got news and I was hoping you'll be here so I could use your desk and owl, but if your leaving," he trailed off, questioning himself. He hadn't seen her in a long time, yet it felt like they had visited yesterday. No, he thought, I was working. "You're looking great," he added.  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief and walked back to her office, happy to realize that, of course, he didn't know. How could he? "What's the news? You're looking wonderful, too."  
  
"Thanks. I'll tell you later, ok? I really need to write your brother and Herm. Do you mind?"  
  
"'Course not, I need to be somewhere anyway. Hey, wait for me, ok? Maybe we can go eat dinner or something."  
  
"I will. Thanks for letting me use this."  
  
"No problem," Ginny assured, and then left him to his business. When she finally made it to Mr. Tajues office, she took a deep breath and knocked.  
  
"Doors open."  
  
She entered and closed the door swiftly behind her, not a moment too soon. When he saw her he exploded, telling her off for not bringing him reports, staying in touch, never the less staying on track.  
  
Ginny almost laughed out loud when she realized all she heard was "blah, blah, blah". Pelican was a brat, throwing fits whenever something went wrong or changed. In the short time living in that base, she had gotten used to pretending to listen to his lectures, meanwhile letting her mind wander. She figured that, sense this was her real job, she better tune back in.  
  
"You have been irresponsible, not keeping up with your reports, not breaking ever so often so come to the office; you said you'd be on top of this, and so far..."  
  
Screw it, she thought to herself decided to interrupt his speech before she started to yell back. "Sir?"  
  
"I'M NOT DONE, WEASLEY!"  
  
"I understand, but sir, I've been working, the thing is people love your wife so much."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Well, I am posing as her. I've adopted her features and manner, and everyone won't leave me alone now. Always coming by, 'Chess, you want more coffee?' or 'Chess, your reports are so awesome!'."  
  
"Who's Chess?"  
  
Sighing, Ginny took a seat, figuring she'd have to explain about call names all the way to the raids.  
  
~Meanwhile, in Ginny's office.~  
  
Harry just finished his letter to Hermione, discussing about the conversation with his godfather about his teenage daughter. Harry was still shocked, but he knew Sirus meant good so he wasn't angry, just shocked. Almost the whole time he was at Hogwarts he was sitting 3 times a day in the same room as her, beating her in Quidditch, dueling with her in the dueling club, and spending Christmas holidays with her.  
  
Shaking it off, he thoughts changed back to Ginny. She looked good, must have been working out because she looked fit, more than the last time he saw her. She also had more confidence in her eyes; he figured her job must have been going well. He also sensed a bit of urgency, though, when he called her name. He never really noticed it before, but he missed her terribly. The funny thing was, it felt like he had been seeing her enough not to miss her. He did anyway.  
  
He tilted forward in the seat and leaned his head on his hands, massaging its temples. Reaching for his wand, he muttered a spell to make his almost headache disappear, then started writing a letter to Ron.  
  
Harry was signing his name right when Ginny stepped into the office, rubbing the back of her neck and yawning with her eyes closed. Not noticing him at her desk, she twirled away from the door, shutting with her left foot and then fell into her chair, right onto Harry's lap. The moment she landed on his legs, he felt her tense, then a sharp pain when her elbow collided with his stomach.  
  
"Mmph!" was the only sound Ginny heard when she suddenly remembered that she had invited Harry to her office.  
  
"Oh, Harry! I'm sorry, I was thinking about other things. Forgot you were here," she squeaked, spinning, still on his lap, to face him.  
  
He smiled weakly, hands on his middle and panted out, "I noticed by that very graceful turn into here." He then sat up straighter, as if to challenge her playfully.  
  
"Well, that's how I always bet you in Quidditch. Luckily we were on the same house team, I always had to cover for your clumsy ass."  
  
He through back his head and laughed good naturally, giving her a hug.  
  
"I always trusted you to save me, love."  
  
She looked at his big, green eyes close and remembered that she was a grown woman now, over the stupid school-girl crush. Still, Harry Potter held a tiny piece of her still innocent heart, and she began to feel the guilt of deceiving him. She was leading him and all the other Aurors on by pretending to be Chess. Sighing, she asked seriously, "Do you really trust me?"  
  
Stuck of her sudden soberness, she responded with, "As much as I trust Ron."  
  
"Would you trust me if I was forced to do something and didn't tell you?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Suddenly aware that she was still seated on his legs, she pushed herself off of him and played idly with the sleeve of her robe. She turned over in her mind about telling him her secret, then scolded herself for even pondering that kind of disaster. "Nothing, its just that the time may come up when we may have to challenge our trust."  
  
"Then I say that trust builds over time. C'mon, Ginny, I need to owl post these letters to Herm and Ron, then let's go eat."  
  
She nodded, yet not any more relieved.  
  
******  
Haylie knew she was due in Hogwarts' parlor any minute for the feast, but instead of offering Tessa kind words of congratulations or talking with the other guest before the tribute began, she found herself down in the dungeons, pacing for no good reason. Letting her white dress robes drag in the dust behind her, Haylie turned to look at herself in a very out of place, full-length mirror. Brandi had begged her to leave her hair down, so there was a sea of golden that ran just past her shoulders, curling at the ends to make it seem more exotic. Her black eyes were decorated with white and glitter and her lips, which were usually in a smirk, looked soft under the gloss. The freckle under the lips made her look more sexy, and Brandi, who had pushed her into a chair to do her make up, told her that it shouldn't be covered up.  
  
"I look like my mother," she thought, her eyes filling up with tears. Sniffling loudly, she turned away, not ready to let her heart receive another blow. She missed her mother terribly, and she didn't want to admit it. "The woman lied to you," she told herself, staring at her refection again. Her eyes in the mirror locked with her own, and she said out loud, "That's the only difference. I have my fathers eye's."  
  
Sirus' eyes were the first thing she noticed when she met her father, six years before. Black as night, just like hers and full of the same thing she felt. Shock, anger, and above all, fear. Yet there was one thing missing at the time that she had searched his eyes for everyday sense.love. She was his daughter, but he didn't seem to care. She didn't blame him at first, but then she did, because he loved Harry Potter more than his own flesh and blood.  
  
Haylie doubled over in emotional pain when once again the hurt stabbed her heart. Not caring about how she was dressed, she sank to her knees and let the blow she had blocked before beat her insides raw, yet never letting a tear fall.  
  
"Keep faith," she reminded herself, clutching her middle and surrendered to the pain, something she hadn't done in a long time.  
  
******  
  
Draco stood staring at the door of the Headmasters' office. He didn't know why he was summoned, but he didn't really mind leaving Malfoy Manor. His childhood home, which was never filled with any warmth in the first place, seemed like a torture chamber. Screams carried up from the dungeons, echoing through every empty hallway. The Dark Lords people were always hurling themselves at his feet and it seemed that everyday there was a new death to morn for. Draco hated it all, but he hated more that once upon a time he wanted it.  
  
He shook off his thoughts when Dumbledore opened the door, looking prepared to leave. Caught off guard by the site of Draco, the young man was looking crossed-eyed at the wand pointed directly at his nose. Taking a moment to recognize his companion, the Headmaster smiled and pocketed his wand.  
  
"Hello Mr. Malfoy, I was expecting you much earlier."  
  
"Sorry, sir, but I was in the middle of something," Draco responded.  
  
"Well, this will have to wait till tomorrow. I have to be at the tribute to the Head Boy and Girl now," Dumbledore said, gliding Draco over to the steps down, "but you can stay over night."  
  
"You are very kind. Where will I sleep?"  
  
While standing on the moving stairs, Dumbledore rubbed his beard before answering, "There are many open rooms; this is such a large castle. I remember you are quite fond on the dungeons, though, so you may find a bad down there."  
  
Draco nodded, stepping off at the end of the steps, and bid goodnight to the Headmaster before turning in the other direction and leaving. He knew this castle well from his school years, and soon he slipped into a secret passage leading down to the cool, moist dungeons.  
  
When the he came to the end of the passage, he pressed his body against the cold dirt door and let it swing open, only to step out and trip over a warm body.  
  
******  
  
Haylie gasped when the mirror she was watching herself in earlier crashed against the other wall and a man, shadowed by the darkness around, stepped and fell over her, knocking over the candle stick that gave the room its only light. It became as dark as midnight. She didn't move, just sat listen as the man grunted and, by the sound of it, began looking for something. She screamed when his hand clasped over her ankle, and before she knew it, she was underneath him, his hand over her mouth and back pressing against the ground.  
  
"Shhh," the voice came into her ear, "I'm here for the Headmaster, and now I'm going to find my wand and get some light. No more screaming, understand?"  
  
She nodded, and shivered when the warm body lifted itself off of her. She stood too, pulling her wand out of her pocket.  
  
"Let me help, I have mine," she told the stranger, and whispered "Lumos."  
  
Draco's breath hitched at the site of the Ravenclaw Keeper without sweat and Quittitch robes. He didn't expect to see her, of all people, and to cover her mouth with his hand when she screamed. She seemed a lot braver in the forest the first time they had met.and also seemed a lot less beautiful.  
  
Haylie didn't notice the man was Draco, instead searching for his missing wand. Her dress robes were wrinkled and dirty, and her hair was tangled, but the tom-boy in her didn't pay attention to such things. Her almost- emotional breakdown was interrupted and she was fine with it, not ready to let her heart face such hurtful facts.  
  
She then spotted his wand, and bending over to scoop it up, she said to him, "Sorry about the scream. I'm afraid of the dark and having strange hands grabbing me didn't help." She turned toward Draco with his wand and smiled until she recognized him.  
  
His silver, blond hair was messed up from the fall, having a lock escape onto his forehead and his black robe had torn at its sleeve and his arm, which bleed from a gash. She locked eyes with his for a second, revealing to her that he was just as much surprised to find her down there. Stiffly, she handed him the wand and began to straighten her dress robes and hair, wanting not to look into those gray eyes again.  
  
"Ms. Black, I recall?" Draco began, still looking at the top of her head.  
  
"Yeah, I am." Silence before she said, "Let me help you with your arm."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're bleeding."  
  
He looked at the angry gash, and before he could protest, she roughly grabbed his arm and inspected it.  
  
"You said you were here for the Headmaster. Is it true, or were you just trying to shut me up?" she asked, letting a little grin lift the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Well, you were screaming in my ear, but I forgive you now, considering you said you were afraid of the dark."  
  
She finished inspecting in and looked up at him to say, "You need to go to the Hospital Wing, I don't know what to do with this."  
  
He nodded, feeling light-headed at the sight gash. He swayed a little bit and then felt his body being pulled down to the ground.  
  
"Lie down. What's wrong?" she impatiently asked.  
  
"Nothing, just a little dizzy," he answered, paling when he look at the cut again, blood slowly flow out of it.  
  
Haylie threw her bead back and laughed loudly. "The sight of blood makes you queasy, huh?"  
  
"Shut up." He glared at her before drawling, "At least I don't need to sleep with a light on."  
  
She winked good-naturally, forgetting temporarily who she was talking to. "It just makes the sex better."  
  
Draco relaxed and his handsome face broke out into a grin. "Glad to see we're on the same page." He then sat up, holding his arm without looking at it, and pushed the mirror door closed with his foot. When he turned back his head to face her, she turned her head away, blushing. 'Aw, I'm not irresistible to her after all.' He thought.  
  
Haylie stood up quickly, horribly angry with herself for the long look at him. She stood the candle up again and lit it before saying, "I'm needed somewhere, so I'll send someone down to you."  
  
"No, don't, I'll take care of it." He knew that the headmaster hadn't told anyone else about him. All the students, teachers and staff thought he was a Death Eater. He then realized that Haylie knew that he was a double-agent also. 'Oh bugger. Now I need to say something about it.' Unwilling to talk about it yet, he stalled by asking, "What are you doing down here?"  
  
"Um...just thinking. I can't leave you here without medical attention, and I know you can't take care of it. Come, I'll bring you to the Hospital Wing."  
  
"I said it was fine. What were you thinking about?"  
  
"Nothing. Why don't with want to go up?"  
  
"No reason. So if you weren't thinking, why are you down here?"  
  
They glared at each other, both wanting their questions answered and demands met. Gray against black, both flashing, battled. The jokes and teasing had ended.  
  
"I was thinking about my family."  
  
Caught off guard, Draco just blinked at her. 'Sirus? Is he really her father?' he asked himself again, still debating. The evidence was clear, though. Her black eyes gave it all away.  
  
"Well, do you want to go to the Hospital Wing or not? I'm sure the Headmaster wants all his double-agents in working order." She said, clearly annoyed at his blank expression.  
  
"Who said I'm a double agent?" he responded, not likely her bluntness.  
  
"Oh please. You told me that you were here for Dumbledore. Plus, you came through a secret entrance into the dungeons; obviously not want to be seen. I'm guessing no one knows you're here. We all believe you're a Death Eater any way, so you want it to stay that way, and..." she trailed off, thinking back at her last comment. 'He wants everyone to think he's a bad guy so his cover isn't blown,' she thought, before asking herself, 'What does he do to people that do know that shouldn't?' Her hand tighten around her still lit wand.  
  
"I think you answered your own question," he smirked at her where her bluntness had gotten her.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Are you gonna tell anyone?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"I don't think you should."  
Her pride was still there, and even though she was scared, she answered, "What would you do to stop me?"  
  
"Tell everyone who your father is."  
  
At the mention of her father, Haylie flushed with fury. Not even bothering to ask how he knew, she denied it. "No one can prove he's my father."  
  
"Your eyes are proof enough, not to mention you act just like him. Keep it quiet who I am, and I'll do the same for you."  
  
"Like I would really trust you. You would still work for the other side if I don't tell, and I'm putting my friends in danger if I let you go."  
  
Draco was beginning to get worried. Haylie Black wasn't cooperating, and he knew that if she didn't, he wouldn't get very much farther than the 19 years of his life. 'Why wont she bend for me?' he wondered.  
  
He couldn't believe it when she smiled and held up her hands, as if they were to be chained up. "Take me away and kill me now, Malfoy. We both want it to happen."  
  
"No, I don't. Why would you?"  
  
The thoughts she felt earlier drifted back to her, and she felt the same pain attack her body. She kneeled, her hands still ready to be chained, and letting her head drop, to hide the tears that filled her eyes. She didn't want to have that emotional breakdown in front of him, so she mumbled quietly, "How long would you live if I told anyone about you?"  
  
"Not long."  
  
"Fine, just promise me one thing."  
  
"What?"  
  
"We don't know each other, we haven't ever met. I don't want my friends and family endangered."  
  
Draco nodded, offering his palm. She took it while still kneeled, and shook. Letting go, she stood, walked right up to his chest, and tore his robe into a piece. She began to wrap the fabric around his arm, and said, "You know, according to all the stories I heard about you, your not all that bad, Mr. Malfoy. You don't kill Muggle-born children when they beg on their knees, you don't rape unaided women in the school hallways, and you don't carry a cruel heart behind your handsome face, though you can be as cocky as hell."  
  
"You don't know all that much about me. This IS only the second time we met."  
  
"Yeah, and the first time I judged you, screamed at you, and lied to your face."  
  
He laughed while she stepped away from him. "I can't blame you. Your dad had just ruined your victory. I was quite please, though, to see Gryffindor lose. You are a pretty good Keeper."  
  
"You were there when he scared the crowd away? I swear, I worked my ass off to beat that team, and when I did it, he had to come begging for food." She began walking away till she stopped and turned to look at his face again.  
  
"I trust you, Malfoy. I don't know why, but if you break it, I swear by Quittitch that I will make you watch yourself die."  
  
"There's the Ravenclaw Keeper I remember."  
  
"Don't remember me."  
  
"Yeah, I know, we don't know each other. Till we meet again, Haylie." He bowed to her.  
  
'Damn, that man does have class,' she thought, trying to leave the memory of him behind.  
  
******  
  
Lisa sat, straight as a board, in the parlor. The conversation she heard while reading Tessa's letter in the Shrieking Shack had shaken her to the bone. Brandi came to sit next to her.  
  
"Whats wrong?" Brandi asked.  
  
"I know something about Tessa and Haylie."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"We'll all talk later." Lisa looked at her friend and said sternly, "Don't tell them we know anything."  
  
Brandi nodded as Haylie walked in, her robes dirty, wrinkled and bloodstain, and her hair was tangled and frizzy. She searched the room, found Brandi, and began to walked over to her.  
  
"Can you fix me, Brandi?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"We'll talk later, I have something to tell you all." Haylie responded, her hair and robes back to normal, and she turned to find Tessa.  
  
Lisa tilted her head, watching her friend leave. "She's in trouble," was the only comment she made to the baffled Brandi.  
  
**Yikes, 29 pages. Well, sorry it took so long; I'm having trouble using that FictionPress thing. Well, in the next chapter, Tessa and her friends have an overdo chat, Ron and Hermione finally come in, Harry and Ginny fight along side of each other, Dissel becomes frantic, Draco gets his new mission and starts his deal with Haylie, and Schell spills about his connection to the past.** 


End file.
